If you’re interested in hosting or attending training, contact me for details and registration.

I am teaching a shield class in a few weeks so imagine by delight when I stumble upon an internet discussion about their use. More accurately, a respected guy on that particular forum was pretty damn adamant that they were wasted effort. Others had opinions to the contrary, including me.

Rather than just talk about why I think they are a valuable and necessary piece of team equipment, I will attempt to debunk some of the common reasons I have heard for NOT using them.

“They’re heavy and slow you down”. Get to the gym Sally. A modern Intruder shield WITH lights is a modest 21 pounds. In addition you should be switching shield men out on slow clears so the same guy isnt toting it for over an hour. Last, I see alot of guys rely on muscles alone to hold them up, technique will help soften some of the weight.

“Most shields are only IIIA, what if the bad man has a rifle?” Well then you better hope he hits your rifle plate, exactly as if you didnt have a shield. If this means you will be facing a rifle with a handgun, one handed, then I get it. Certainly I would prefer to fight a rifle with a rifle. But as an earlier post of mine stated, my pistol isnt a super soaker full of cat piss. It is a lethal machine in my hands, certainly when I was carrying a shield routinely I was very proficient and I felt confident that I could engage someone quickly and decisively. Oh yeah, my teammates all had rifles and would maneuver to engage the bad rifle man too. T-E-A-M.

“The shield is rated for pistol, why use it if we KNOW he is armed with a rifle?” Well, if we KNOW he is armed with a pistol, why not pull out your rifle plates? They’re heavy, they mess up your shooting platform, without them in I can run faster. Sound like I’m reversing the argument? Good, I am. No one would take out their plates just becasue the detectives or CCU say he only he has a pistol. (At least I hope not) A guy with a rifle may also have a shotgun and a pistol. He may decide to use those guns instead of the rifle. The shield gives me some protection in the face, neck, brachial, and maybe a bit of the femoral artery.  I’ll take what I can get. Mrs. Blowers DEMANDS that I maintain alot of skill sets. She actually likes me, unlike most people, so she wants me around.

The biggest mistake I see is that a team will get a shield, or they have one laying around, and they try to incorporate it with no training. So they throw it in the mix and everybody hates it. It goes away again. Well no shit? Typically the cluster of humans that would be inclined to have a shield are also the same group that would crap if someone went out and bought a rifle and didn’t seek formal trianing of some kind on how to use it. So get training.

And get the right equipment to make your shield guys successful. Like a laser on their damn pistol. That shield reacharound bullshit is from the 80’s, Bro. If your team van is a 79 Camaro then do work, and I’ll even give you a bitchin “Command Jac” vest that I was initially issued to complete your setup. Buy a modern shield! Adavances in technology, both ballistics and lights have, become really sweet. Take advantage of it.