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When I first came on SWAT back in the day we didnt have no doggone armored vehicles. I was issued a Command-Jac vest, it weighed about a million pounds and the pouches were sewn in place. We had a single ballistic shield, it was a ProTech Body Bunker that weighed almost 40 pounds. I had a sweet ass PASGT helmet. We did not have a PT standard and it showed for a few guys on the team. Our firearms standards were pretty low. The “budget” was non-existent. No pole cameras or robots, we had a single flat mirror on a pole.
 
What’s the point? The point is that we can do this job without all the fancy stuff. I taught a basic SWAT class last weekend for a newer team. They are just starting up and their team is working hard at training and trying to equip themselves. They have good, smart people. They dont have alot of the crap I have access too on my team. Can they still go out and get the job done? Of course they can. I am often surprised and a little pissed when I hear guys on my team say they cant/shouldnt contain the 3 side without armored vehicles. Pish-Posh! You’re wearing armor, we have a boat load of portable armor and how about you just use cover and concelament in the environment!

Make no mistake, my team is far better today than it was in January 1995. We have better selection, training, equipment and resources. We have top-notch command support from our Chiefs. But I sometimes wonder if all the whiz bang isn’t turning us soft. All of the fancy stuff doesnt replace basic tactics, it supplements it. We must remember that we are in a business that requires risk management, it is not risk aversion. My initial issue rifle plate weighed almost 15 goddamn pounds, yet I hear and see sumbitches today going without basic shoulder protection because “I cant move” in it. You gotta be shitting me.