Navy SEAL Lessons Learned From Aurora Colorado

sofrep.com/ ^ | 23 July, 2012 | Brandon Webb

[marktwain]

As I continue to read about the terrible tragedy in Aurora, Colorado, I can’t help but think there’s some lessons from my time as a Navy SEAL that I can pass on to the average citizen. So here goes…

Don’t Make Yourself an Easy Target

When at sporting events, concerts, and the movies, choose seats that give you a tactical advantage always. What do I mean? Choose seats that allow good and east vantage points and a hasty exit point. Always stack the odds in your favor. It’s the reason I still combat park (back in to a space) and sit with my back to the wall when I’m eating.

Active Shooter Scenario Advice

Take cover and not concealment. Concealment hides, cover hides AND protects. It’s the difference between hiding behind a movie seat or a concrete wall.

Don’t lie there with your eyes closed and get shot. Think and move. A good decision executed quickly is better than a great one never executed. Violence of action, as we call it in the Spec Ops community, will often change the odds in your favor.

For close quarter combat drills we’d draw a gun with someone over 20 feet away running at us. In most cases you can be on someone before they can draw and take a shot. I’m not advocating running straight at someone but if you have the tactical advantage (jam, re-loading, distraction or the shooter isn’t paying attention) then take the shooter down or get the hell out of there. Deal with the situation with your eyes wide open.

In Aurora, the shooter was severely weighted down with armor and his helmet would have also limited his vision. You can use all this to your advantage.

Flashlight anyone? I have one for daily carry and take it everywhere with me. It’s become another extension of me and has diffused at least two potentially violent confrontations in a non-lethal way. I recommend 200+ lumens.

How to use it in this situation?

I would have pulled my high lumens pocket flashlight and blinded this guy. The high powered beam would have taken away his vision for 3-4 seconds, which is an eternity and enough time to flight or fight. There’s also no shame in surviving and getting you and your loved ones out of harm – especially little ones. Be a Hero to your kids and family for surviving, nobody can expect more of you than that. Like we say in Survival Escape Evasion Resistance (SERE) school, “Survive with Honor.”

Concealed Carry

If you’re lucky enough to live in a state like Texas that not only allows concealed carry, but supports the use of deadly force, then train to use it.

Think seriously about whether it’s worth a Carry Concealed Weapon (CCW) permit in states where you’re likely to get screwed by a jury if you use it. Example: I can get a CCW in CA but I’m likely screwed if I shoot somebody. The mostly liberal (I’m a registered independent for the record) jury will be sure to have my ass and it’s why I own a dog that’s trained to bite and protect (another good option). Nothing makes me happier then visualizing PETA pitted against other wild-eyed liberals.

Bottom line is that if you own a gun and have it as daily carry, you’d better rehearse your use scenarios both physically and mentally, and the same with the gun in the home. Mental practice is extremely valuable after you’ve mastered the basics. FYI, shooting paper at the local range will not prepare you for a defensive shooting situation. Rehearsing defensive scenarios is the only thing that will prepare you.

For most of you, the best bet is to buy a good tactical flashlight, there are plenty on the market. Specs: At least 200+ lumens, waterproof, LED, and a 3volt lithium battery. Use and carry your light with you at all times. It’s the best non-lethal and practical option available, in my opinion. You can take it anywhere – including on an airplane – and if it’s a high lumen model it will blind people in broad daylight. I can’t recommend this purchase enough.

Learn From an Expert

There are plenty of former Military and Law Enforcement that have great self-defense skills. Just vet your instructor carefully, ask for references and proof of service. While there are many solid instructors out there, there are also a plethora of wannabe Rex-Kwon-Do types who are self-proclaimed experts and worse – lie about their service.

Alter Your Lifestyle, and it May Save Your Life

Avoid opening night and large crowds (e.g. go to Disney World during off-peak) that make easy targets. FYI, most domestic and foreign terrorists want the biggest bang for their buck. They want Yankee stadium sold out and not Padre stadium at 60% capacity. It sucks to live this way sometimes but ask the survivors from Colorado if it’s worth a minor lifestyle change. I say it is, and it’s the main reason I’m watching the Olympics on TV and not attending this year. London is too much of a risk for a variety of reasons that I will not go into on this post.

Don’t Be a Victim

Rehearse emergency scenarios before there’s an emergency, the time to practice is NOT when it’s happening.

The world is a dangerous place these days. Be prepared.

A great book I’d also recommend is, Escape The Wolf by Clinton Emerson.

My condolences to the victims and their families in Aurora Colorado.

-Brandon

Brandon is a former Navy SEAL, and worked as a Special Operations intelligence & security specialist in Iraq during 2006-07. He is also author of the New York Times Best Seller, “The Red Circle”.

[Mich Patriot]

"I’ll try it. Kind of a pain in the rear though."

What's the difference? If you pull in straight and have to back out when you leave, or back the car IN when you arrive. Either way you have to back up once. Do it on the front end and you're set. It may even come with the advantage of being earlier and/or daylight when you back in.

[Tenacious 1]

Didn’t know it was called “combat parking.” I’ve always called it “Boy Scout Parking.”

I drive a full sized pick up truck and ALWAYS "combat park" (though I've never heard it called that either). I do it for a different reason. In a pick up truck, you can't see immediately behind you and with vehicles on either side, you can rarely see any traffic, pedestrian or otherwise, comming from side to side behind you. I just try and avoid backing up all together. It's safer for the rest of the world if I can see you.

[Mich Patriot]

Also, if you're at a shopping center where it's a grid like this:

...you merely pull all the way through facing out, and NO backup is required.

[TweetEBird007]

Always called it get the hell out of Dodge. Picked up that
habit in 1956 to get out of high school parking lot.

[blu]

Thanks. Much to think about.

[marktwain]

On parking so that you pull out forward instead of backing out:

ichabod posted:

“I’ll try it. Kind of a pain in the rear though.”

Not really. It takes just as much trouble to back out as it does to back in. It is just a question of when you invest the time. It is safer to do it when you approach the spot and instinctively observe the area to see if there is anything in your rear, and you are more likely to have time to do it without a rush.

[ArrogantBustard]

It has a scalloped bezel for a reason ;'}

Still, the 3-cell MagLight makes a supreme beatnik-bopper.

[jagusafr]

Roger the sheepdogs - forwarded this to both my daughters for their SA.

jagusafr

[SueRae]

Excellent post!

(searching for best flashlight even as we speak)

[DuncanWaring]

Wasn’t it Lazarus Long that said “Keep your weapon and your pants where you can find them in the dark.”?

[Pollster1]

I guarantee you, my 700 lumens searing your brain is going to stop you for a few seconds.

I recommend testing a 100, 200, and/or 700 lumen on yourself (not just you, all Freepers), both in the daylight and at night. At night, the 100 was a bit disturbing for several minutes - a long time in a stressful situation. The 700? I couldn't focus straight ahead for perhaps 20 minutes (not sure because I couldn't see my watch or clocks), and couldn't read until the next day. I carry a 700 at all times. It won't harm anyone permanently, but it will make a bad person a whole lot less of a threat, and the gutless liberals have not yet done anything to interfere with our right to keep and bear flashlights.

[Tenacious 1]

I also fully endorse the “No guns = No $$$$” and practice it often.

I usually do the same.

In 2006 I had to visit a Revol (I think?) cell phone store to get some tech help on my wife's phone. They had a rather ominous sign on the door about "Absolutely no firearms allowed". This was in Indiana mind you. I went in anyway and got my business done. Then I asked to see the manager. Turns out the guy that helped me was the manager. I asked about the sign. It was corporate policy according to "Tim." I asked about police officers and licensed to carry citizens. Tim said, "It was more for would be criminals." Without me saying a word, Tim immediately realized just how stupid that was and said, "I guess that doesn't make much sense does it." It was as if he had never really heard how stupid that sounded until he himself had to say it out loud. I smiled and left without him ever realized I was carrying concealed. The sign was gone the next time I happened to drive by the store.

[Durus]

Sometimes you need jumper cables. Sometimes you need a spare tire. Sometimes you need a flashlight. Sometimes you need a fire extinguisher or worse yet fire insurance. Someone who has these items is not delusionally paranoid looking for trouble who "trusts no one". In fact if you didn't have these items most people would consider you to be relatively unprepared in your daily life. Why is it any different when the tool you really need is a flashlight or a pistol?

When shown direct evidence that these things happen and that there are in fact times when a pistol could be the difference between you and your family's survival you react with mockery. Do you think my blood pressure is raised by this? I simply shake my head that someone smart enough to read and write could be so irresponsible with their own life to not take basic preventative measures.

[RummyChick]

No, thinking more in terms of someone attacking you. Hasn’t fired off the gun yet. You blind him and he starts randomly shooting.

[Nifster]

Love the graphic

[Red_Devil 232]

What is the brand name on that three pack of flashlights?

[T-Bird45]

Your interaction with the manager revealed that most people don’t like being made to look or feel stupid, especially in a work environment. Two thumbs up to you for your gentle nudge for him to see the light!!

[Vendome]

LOL

Well, my brother and I shut off the lights in the shop and from 50 feet away gave each other a healthy dose of blindness.

It definitely took a few minutes before either of us could move and we didn’t shine the lights all that long.

I think it was more of a swipe of the light across our faces.

I felt my way back to the front of the shop and held on to the work benches so I wouldn’t take a dangerous step.

My brother did the same thing and the book keeper said she helped him back into the office.

By the time I made it to the front he was sitting in a chair squinting and sat in the recliner.

We were laughing for doing something so dumb but giddy as if we had discovered fire and weren’t going to tell anyone about it.

We are looking at the 6000 lumen light from the same manufacturer but hell, I don’t know where’d I’d use it.

This light is plenty....for now.

[Nifster]

There is much in the article that I consider to be the common sense my momma taught me. I guess to me I have always been aware of my surroundings and make an effort to not put myself in what could be a dangerous (or could become dangerous) situation. In the areas where CCW is in effect, I am not bothered that people carry.... in fact I prefer it. I have a weapon and a permit but I don’t carry precisely because in the classes I have taken I learned that there are situations in which I am too slow on the trigger. I have always carried my trusty mag lite with me (small one).

But I don’t go out of my way to sit in a corner with back to wall so I can eye everyone. I do sit in the center of a theater row because I like the view better. But you will never ( and have never) found me at a midnight showing of anything. I did not take my children to movies that were rated higher than their age level.... and sometimes I wouldn’t even take them to some that were ‘rated’ PG or PG-13 because I thought the movie to be trash.

I admit I grew up in a different time. What I know is that my daughter learned my values and carries them with her today.

I also admit I do not go to the movies much anymore because the audiences are really annoying.

[Nifster]

That I agree with