Situational Awareness Article

[Guest Tom Givens]

Here is a link to an excellent article on situational awareness. Development of this critical skill is every bit as important as working your hard skills.

Situational Awareness: How Everyday Citizens Can Help Make a Nation Safe | STRATFOR

[Guest nicemac]

I talked to my teen-aged sons about this just last night. We were talking about the flash-mob stores of the past few weeks. You have to be aware of what is going on around you at all times when you are out (and depending on the city/ neighborhood, etc..., maybe even when you are in).

[Caster]

Everyone is a suspect, Even grandma on her walker. Just because your not paranoid, don't mean they're not after you.

Now I suppose there's an extreme to that; Too much. BUT, you can live your life, be happy, and watch every meat suit in range of you while in public.

Tell you a little thing my and the wife do, just pick a random meaningless word and know each other well. We can be walking around anywhere talking about ??? and I can say "look at this gumby" and she knows me well enough to intuit who I am referring and without "LOOKING" keep an eye on that person. We profile heavily. We don't care if that upsets the PC crowd. In an elevator with Habeeb, his every move is critiqued my the both of us. If that makes him feel uncomfortable, he can tell someone who gives a crap. Skin head on the escalator? You know, you can blend in with the sheeple, flirt with your wife and eye the crowd 360 degrees by standing back to back kinda cuddly like while waiting line. You look like all the other goons pushing the limits public display of affection, all the while keeping a wary eye on your surroundings. It's not hard, you just have to do it. Make a game of it, in a short time you find it becomes second nature.

This is a skill I dare say MORE important than marksmanship. Mr. Miyagi told us the best way to win a fight is to "No get hit" Well, pay attention see it coming, and get the heck out of the way. NO, of course this isn't 100% but it's ZERO % if you don't put forth an effort.

[BluewaterTactical]

Very good article, I teach this to my students, you would be suprised as to how many actually never think about their surroundings. Some call it paranoid, some call it aware, I call it safe.

[chances R]

This happened just recently on a South Carolina rural area road trip with the wife. Following an older model car full of young men. They happen to turn the same way we were going; but this was across a rather large median for a two lane road. They came to a complete stop, without any traffic coming or other obvious reason. Their back door opened and a young man got out. At that time both the wife and I are reaching for weapons, I'm checking my 'six', starting to put the car in reverse to create some distance. At that time the car pulls on off, and they were simply letting the fellow out at that point, as they all continued on.

We proceeded as well and a short distance just glanced at one another and realized what had just happened without saying a word at the time. We had a smile of relief, and realized that our previous discussions of events had prepared us to start an appropriate response. It pays to stay code 'yellow'. You never know when the next time is for real.