All posts by taprack

Ballistic Shields

Ballistic Shield User Course, Nov 18 & 19, Spokane WA. 
SWAT Team Leader, Dec 16-18, Spokane

*************  2014 Courses  ***************
SWAT Team Leader, Feb 3-5, Thurston County, WA.
Tactical Carbine, April 14-16, 2014, Kent WA…
Tactical Handgun, April 21-22, 2014, Kent WA
High Risk Warrant Service, May 19-21, 2014 Kent WA

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. 

I dont believe that shields should be used for everything. I do think some teams over use them and treat them like a magic force field. I also know that most guys who hate them will flippin’ love them the second they start catching rounds. As always my apologies for typos.   

On cross fire, cover & real world shootings

Ballistic Shield User Course, Nov 18 & 19, Spokane WA. 
SWAT Team Leader, Dec 16-18, Spokane
SWAT Team Leader, Feb 3-5, Thurston County, WA.
2014 Classes —-
Tactical Carbine, April 14-16, 2014, Kent WA…
Tactical Handgun, April 21-22, 2014, Kent WA
High Risk Warrant Service, May 19-21, 2014 Kent WA

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

Interesting past week for me which caused me to think through several things. It is easy to forget that as a senior guy on my team that some of our instituional and experience based knowledge doesnt always get passed down to the young studs. Or if it does, they dont hear the lesson or information because they dont have the experience to actually understand why the information is deadly important.

So cross fire first. Years ago my team was involved in a gunfigh that lasted 4.5 minutes. Not an exceptionally long gunfight by combat standards, but in the police world fairly significant. During that gunfight the suspect had gone into the attic. We had officers in the attic, officers on the floor below the attic and officers oustide at ground level. As this thing developed, the suspect was initially on the floor below the attic while officers were in the attic above him. (This was an apartment building) The suspect was initially engaged  by officers on the ground who were firing UP. This put the officers in the attic in their line of fire. The attic officers alos fired down, putting the officers bleow them and on the ground in a crossfire. Ground level officers fired at the suspect again, again putting attic officers in their line of fire. The same type of thing had occurred to use two years before with an officer in an attic firing DOWN at a suspect in the insulation. There were officers below that location in the master bedroom.

When I teach the TL class we talk alot about mitigating cross fires, but it is the hidden, unseen crossfires that guys cant seem to grasp. If we enter through front door and back door, everybody gets that we will have a link up somewhere in the target. Be careful, could be a cross fire. But I see guys put an arrest in front of and centered on a house all the time and then there backside containment is centered. So if you lifted the house up, you would have two groups of SWAT guys pointing guns DIRECTLY AT EACH OTHER! It’s a crossfire, dont do it.

On cover. We have some really nice armored vehicles. They stop damn near anything a person could get their hands on. They have glass windshields and side windows that have the same ballistic rating as the steel part. So if you are looking over the hood with your entire head exposed, I can shoot you in your head. Getting shot in the head is bad. So instead look through the glass, you can still see and contain the target. If a guy comes out shooting, you can simply roll out from cover and shoot him back. But staring at a window that has sun reflection and the house behind it is dark is dangerous. And it’s dumb. Don’t do that.

Real world shootings. Years ago we ha another team shooting wherein 3 guys fired at a guy sitting in a convertible. The guy was armed with a .357 that he decided he would point at the team. The 3 guys all fired at his head since that is what they could see. We were behind the car and when the guy turned his head to point the gun, one of our guys put a pill in his right eyeball. The other two missed! What the hell?! Two highly trained, competent shooters missed a minute of head shot at the incredible distance of 22 yards!!! The horror.

The reality is that all 3 shots were dead on, at the moment they were fired. However my good friend S.R. fired first, a split second ahead of the other two. This caused his bullet to get there first. When it got there and hit the guy, it caused his head to snap to the right, effectively pushing his head out of the path of the other two bullets that were super-sonically moving to give him a bad day. The investigation and trajectory sticks confirmed this.

The bottom line is that shooting someone in the real world is vastly different than range poker or paper. Shit happens. You never know what will happen in the time it takes you to OODA, and the flight time of the bullet. “Misses” in the real world would often times be X rings on a paper target. I was not concerned with the “misses”, I was glad that three officers on my team proved they had the courage of their convictions, and when they needed to, they did not hesitate to use deadly force.

As always, my apologies for typos.

“New” Tactics

 

Ballistic Shield User Course, Nov 18 & 19, Spokane WA. Get your Cap’n America On.
SWAT Team Leader, Dec 16-18, Spokane
SWAT Team Leader, Feb 3-5, Thurston County, WA.
2014 Classes —-
Tactical Carbine, April 14-16, 2014, Kent WA…
Tactical Handgun, April 21-22, 2014, Kent WA
High Risk Warrant Service, May 19-21, 2014 Kent WA

I will likely be doing a Hostage Rescue class in March 2014 but am still firming up dates. If you are interested in the above or want to host a class, get in touch.

Over the years I have been exposed to a bunch of “new” tactics, techniques and procedures. In some cases, those new things were beneficial and they were implemented by my team. Sometimes, they weren’t implemented even though I thought it might be superior to what we were currently doing. It is a team after all and I am only one voice.

I beleive that as professionals we have to take a hard look at what we are doing and ensure we have not become complacent or static in our processes. I have said it a million times that almost all training is good training if it gives you a different perspective on things. At the very least it increases your overall sophistication on the topic so you can speak intelligently if and when the topic comes up. However, just because you went to nationally known guy’s super course, doesnt mean he is spitting game from the pulpit. Its just his opinion.

I think a good instrucotr SHOULD have an opinion. That opinion should be forged from a crap-ton of training and experience with real missions. I think the instructor should give you his background, that way I can gauge whether or not I can make this TTP work on my team.

For instance, the instructor is from a 100 man team and they cycle through active missions and training on a month on, month off cycle. That team does 700-800 missions a year. Now on it’s face, that guy should be able to lay down some shiz that I want. However, I am on a 2 man team that trains for four hours every other month and we get 2-3 missions per year. Is it possible that we cant adopt his TTP’s because we lack the manpower, training time and mission time to get it right? I might be able to adopt some if his stuff, or flex it to make it work, but I probably cant print the powerpoint and write SOP on it, can I?

The same is true of a TTP that works like gangbusters with Simunition cartridges in a training environment. I hear guys say, “We didnt get shot once during the week using this super technique, it’s the best”. However when you probe them the technique features using doorframes as cover and barricading on them to make shots into a room. SO how many of those Sim rounds hit, and were stopped by the door frame? If the answer is a million, well I would bet that if some of those were real pills they would have hit you. And lets not forget the coward clause. My good friend Mark Renninger used to say that everyone is brave when its Simunitions, the reality is something different and I have to consider how that troll may affect my team as well.

Last, if I am buying what I’m hearing and the TTP is sound across a broad spectrum of circumstances, should I immediately adopt it? Well I have to consider the above with my teams training and mission tempo first. Its not just I want to, but can I? Secondly, if the new TTP is only as good as what Im currently doing, is the re-training effort worth it? Even if its just barely worht it because it fills a small niche, should I go through the re-training effort? If I have a month on, month off cycle maybe I should. If I get 4 hours every other month, maybe not. If it is clearly superior, then you must make the effort.

The way to  determine that is to run some objective testing. The testing should be as scientific as possible but allow variables for human error. Data should be recorded so that it can compiled and examined later. Try the technique with plastic sheeting so Sim rounds can go through it, like real bullets will. Record who fired first, cops or suspects, so we know if we are really scrambling OODA loops. Make note if the cops fire first, because real bullets may prevent the suspect from ever firing his first if they were hits. So on and so forth, this ain’t Bill Nye’s page to explain scientific process, look it up for chrissakes.

The point is to attend training to be exposed to new concepts. But before you adopt those concepts, be objective. Set up a testing process and let real data guide your decision, not the instructors panache or charisma. Or you can just stay the same and risk being called a Dinosaur, but I will end this by saying after 19 years there is nothing new in this game. It is mastering the basics.

As always, sorry for typos.

MRDS on pistols

Ballistic Shield User, Spokane, WA. Nov 18 & 19, 2013
SWAT Team Leader, Spokane, WA. Dec. 16-18, 2013

If you’re interested in attending a class or if you want to host one, please contact me for information.

BALLISTIC SHIELD USER HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED TO THE DATES ABOVE!

2014 scheduled classes will go up next weekend, I hope. Life has been busy lately and I hope to get those courses signed off and posted ASAP.
 
I have been using a RDS on my G34 for the last couple of months. Specifically a Trjicon RMR07 with adjustable brightness. Initially the sight was on a dovetail plate. I recommend the dovetail plate if you want to try RDS on a pistol but you’re not sure its something you would like. The prevents you from having to cut the slide and the down time to have it sent somewhere to be milled. The problem with dovetail mounts is that it makes it difficult to find the dot when presenting the pistol. I got to a point where my draw was as fast and I was finding the dot very quickly, but I would sometimes lose it. I put a paint pen mark on the back of the RDS as a “rear sight” and this helped a little but was not optimal. 

I decided to go all in and sent my G34 slide to Mark Housel at L&M Precision in Arizona. Mark cut the slide, added suppressor height iron sights, mounted the RDS and boresighted everything in less than a week. The gun can be seen here on my fb page.https://www.facebook.com/taprack.tactical  

Much better setup for sure. I am using a Safariland 6354DO holster for SWAT jobs and training and the gun fits fine in my Orange Diamond Concealment gear.
 
Accuracy is through the roof and speed has not suffered since getting it put together right. Initially with the dovetail mount I was slower since I was dot searching a little. For those with failing vision this is the ULTIMATE remedy to keep you in the game. I have messed with lasers and all kinds of hi-vis irons, none of them come close to this. All of the benefits you get from an RDS on your rifle are realized on the pistol. 

One downside is that the optics do get beat on pretty badly being slide mounted. I have about 2500 rounds on this sight with no issue, I will continue to beat it until it dies and then send it back to Trijicon for warranty repair. If you’re coming to the pistol class in a few weeks give this thing a try. 

What’s new?

Carbine/Subgun User School, Kent, WA. Sept. 16-18, 2013
Tactical Pistol, Kent, WA. Sept. 23 & 24, 2013
Ballistic Shield User, Spokane, WA. Nov 18 & 19, 2013
SWAT Team Leader, Spokane, WA. Dec. 16-18, 2013

If you’re interested in attending a class or if you want to host one, please contact me for information.

BALLISTIC SHIELD USER HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED TO THE DATES ABOVE!

A couple of new things for me lately. First is that my good friend Eric Gordon has started cranking out quality kydex holsters and mag pouches as a side business. http://www.orangediamondconcealment.com/

Some of you may know Eric but for those that don’t, he is an absolutely honest and diligent dude. What that means in relation to his Kydex gear is that he tirelessly improves his products and more importantly stands behind everything he makes. I have been using one of his holsters and mag pouches for about two months with great success. This has been daily carry in my job and off duty. It is comfortable and secure and they look awesome. He does custom stuff and uses a variety of colors. I have shot 3 IDPA matches, including the state championship, with his gear and it is as good as anything out there. I have a drawer full of holsters and it is on par, or better, than most gear on the market at a cheaper price.

I have also switched out my class armor to a PC only. My old Eagle CIRAS armor is on standby while I gie the Tactical Tailor plate carrier a dance. I have been thinking of switching to PC only for a while and the opportunity popped up for me to give a try. Lots of dry fire in it, but no live fire yet. I plan to get some rips in this week with it and also during the Carbine class in a few weeks.

Last new thing is that I have been testing and messing with a Trijicon RMR on my pistol. I was using a dovetail plate to mount it, but that is less than optimal. The plate is a great way to determine if you like a MRDS before you cut a gun. If you try one, you will likely want a milled slide. In short, it is badass and the benefits far outweigh the negatives. One big negative is the cost, both for the sight and for the milling. I chose Mark Housel at L&M precision because he has a great reputation for this work. He also has a great price and tons of experience. Last, I told him this was a duty gun and he promised a quick turnaround. The slide goes out today and I will post again about the quality and throw some pics on the fb page when I get it back. Based on photos and reviews of Marks work, I’m sure it will be outstanding. I will have it back for the upcoming tactical pistol class to wring it out and let students give it a try. http://www.landmprecisiongunworks.com/

As always, I apologize for typos.

Branching out

Basic SWAT school, Spokane, WA July 22-26, 2013
High Risk Warrant Service, Kent, WA. August 12-14, 2013
Ballistic Shield User, Spokane, WA. August 26 & 27, 2013
Carbine/Subgun User School, Kent, WA. Sept. 16-18, 2013
Tactical Pistol, Kent, WA. Sept. 23 & 24, 2013
SWAT Team Leader, Spokane, WA. Dec. 16-18, 2013

If you’re interested in attending a class or if you want to host one, please contact me for information.

I have been considering moving into the private sector and teaching some classes to good citizens. Primarily this would be basic weapons courses, but potentially some force on force stuff as well. The liability is the killer for both live fire, flat range stuff, and force on force. I know some hard shootin’ milk men, scientists and teachers that would love to ge that exposure, but d-bags that are quick to sue put a damper on some things. I really am sorry that you got a boo-boo using marking cartridges, but thats kinda the point.

Sometimes I wonder if we get so wrapped around “liability” that we start to short change some training to avoid exposure at all costs. I understand wanting to proect yourself. I completely agree that the trainer should do everything possible to make the environment safe. I also beleive that the student should be ready to take some scrapes doing tactical and weapons based training. As it pertains to live fire, I am NOT talking about someone getting shot on the range. I am talking about a cry baby whining because he has to go prone in the gravel and scuffs his elbow. Somehow thats my fault? And how about you just suck it up?

The same goes with DT. It is a class to teach me how to strike, use counter joints, slam people, etc. Shouldnt I expect to walk out of there a little banged up? Good training is being missed because we are worried about someone being hurt, meanwhile we are training to hurt people. Crazy.

With marking cartridges, the instrucotr has the responsibility to ensure everyone has proper safety equipment to protect them form the cartridges. But if you think you can do that training without getting a few bee stings and abrasions, then you are wrong! Getting stung is a VITAL part of the training, the same as getting your eye dotted with hand to hand. It teaches you lessons that success and soft hits cannot. Can you continue to fight. Simple as that.

SInce I started this blog talking about citizen classes, let me be clear that the paragraphs above are not aimed at citizens. I havent done any classes for them yet. I have done a lot of classes for cops. SO take that for what its worth an dbring your own bandaids.

On training

Basic SWAT school, Spokane, WA July 22-26, 2013
High Risk Warrant Service, Kent, WA. August 12-14, 2013
Ballistic Shield User, Spokane, WA. August 26 & 27, 2013
Carbine/Subgun User School, Kent, WA. Sept. 16-18, 2013
Tactical Pistol, Kent, WA. Sept. 23 & 24, 2013
SWAT Team Leader, Spokane, WA. Dec. 16-18, 2013

If you’re interested in attending a class or if you want to host one, please contact me for information.

I recieved a few emails from the last blog asking for clarification. The basic theme was if I believe you should seek training from a variety of sources, why have I gone to the same Basic carbine class taught by the same guy 3 times over the last few years? To clarify, I dont think there is anything wrong with getting instruction from the same person over a period of time on the same topic. My point was that it has to be filtered by training from OTHER sources as well to make sure I am staying balanced. If I only attended that carbine course, then my only frame of reference is that guy’s opinion on how the carbine should be run. I want a myriad of training since most instrucotrs background, experience and training will vary giving them completely different perspectives on the topic at hand. You must seek all the information you can get so that you can properly self coach and grow.

As an example, I recently attended a one day tactical medicine course put on by Combat First Aid, https://www.facebook.com/CombatFirstAid . I have attended other medical training classes starting with combat lifesaver in the Army through TCCC and others. This class was well presented and I learned some new things. More importantly was that there emphasis, and their motto was well played. Combat First, aid. The class was strong on managing the gunfight first and then working on the boo-boos that you or a partner received during that engagement. Their approach to aid was simple, realistic and easy to remember. They showed me the importance of a chest seal and I will be working to get those in the our patrol IFAK’s and for SWAT. The patrol based scenarios were a reminder that I need to remember that I am a cop, not just a SWAT team leader. My personal performance in the scenarios was not where I want to be. Learning occurred, and it was a great experience. I know they are working on a two day format and a SWAT specific course that I look forward to taking.

If I only stuck with my local contacts for this type of training, I would not have been able to glean the takeaways form this course. Was the skill of putting on a tourniquet or a dressing taught vastly different? No, but the emphasis on when and the ease of remembering what to do with different injuries nade this course a win. Like all good training I learned something new, but it also made me THINK about how to improve a vital skill POST training.

Get out of your comfort zone to expand knowledge. Go back to tried & true to ensure you are staying current and valid.

As always, I apologize for typos.

Who is your trainer?

Hostage Rescue, Spokane, WA. June 17-19, 2013
Basic SWAT school, Spokane, WA July 22-26, 2013
High Risk Warrant Service, Kent, WA. August 12-14, 2013
Ballistic Shield User, Spokane, WA. August 26 & 27, 2013
Carbine/Subgun User School, Kent, WA. Sept. 16-18, 2013
Tactical Pistol, Kent, WA. Sept. 23 & 24, 2013
SWAT Team Leader, Spokane, WA. Dec. 16-18, 2013

If you’re interested in attending a class or if you want to host one, please contact me for information.

I received a call this week from a guy who was asking why my agency was hosting a specific trainer. He was interested because he provides the same type of training. I have attended his training, and I think he was wondering why we weren’t hosting him.

His training was good, I know this other trainer also provides good training. In the end it is about variety in training. In PT I try to do a variety of things to maintain a balanced combat chassis. Alot of what I do is based on my previous training, my current age, my existing and old injuries and my perspective of what level of fitness I should have to be able to do my job as a cop and SWAT team member. I know a bunch of people would have different opinions than me about what I should be doing and what I should not be doing.

I have attended alot of firearms training from a bunch of dudes. Most of it was good and I have taken the best of those courses and incorporated drills, mindset and though process into my training with pistol and rifle. Again, my training is based on the variables above, but I have to add in time to do it and expense invovled. I would love to shoot all day, every day. Not enough time or money to make that happen. Again, plenty of guys out there that would disagree with what I do to maintain proficiency with my guns.

On to my own training classes. I try to deliver the best training I can. I take the responsibility seriously and I always hope that nobody leaves my classes feeling like I stole their money. But just like at the start of this email, you have to seek trianing from a bunch of dudes so that you can get different perspectives and thoughts on how YOU need to train and prepare for the day. Just like you shouldnt have a favorite rifle magazine, you shouldnt have a favorite tactics instructor.

Lots of guys will disagree with me on certain tactics and how I present my thoughts to a class. I’m OK with that. In fact I tell guys all the time to STOP coming to my training classes and go seek information from others on the same topic. Make no mistake, I appreciate the business. I am glad that they feel comfortable with my teaching style and the material. I have attended the same course twice, taught by the same guy and had different learning experiences based on where I was at in learning level and capacity. But, you have to branch out to get more sophisticated.

As always, Caveat Emptor. In a world where everyone is a tactical trainer, do your research on EVERY instructor and class you plan to attend. Vet them like you were running a background investigation. You will still get it wrong once in awhile, but at least you will have shown due diligence and its always good to leanr what you DONT want to do as much as it is to leanr what you do.

Oh yeah, Tap-Rack training is the best, advertisement complete.  

Feeling old….

Hostage Rescue, Spokane, WA. June 18-20, 2013
Basic SWAT school, Spokane, WA July 22-26, 2013
High Risk Warrant Service, Kent, WA. August 12-14, 2013
Ballistic Shield User, Spokane, WA. August 26 & 27, 2013
Carbine/Subgun User School, Kent, WA. Sept. 16-18, 2013
Tactical Pistol, Kent, WA. Sept. 23 & 24, 2013
SWAT Team Leader, Spokane, WA. Dec. 16-18, 2013

If you’re interested in attending a class or if you want to host one, please contact me for information.

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.

I’m pretty sure we were harder back in the day, or maybe just luckier?

Just a few thoughts on misc. BS

SWAT Team Leader, Lakewood, WA. May 6-8, 2013
Hostage Rescue, Spokane, WA. June 18-20, 2013
High Risk Warrant Service, Kent, WA. August 12-14, 2013
Ballistic Shield User, Spokane, WA. August 26 & 27, 2013
Carbine/Subgun User School, Kent, WA. Sept. 16-18, 2013
Tactical Pistol, Kent, WA. Sept. 23 & 24, 2013
SWAT Team Leader, Spokane, WA. Dec. 16-18, 2013

If you’re interested in attending a class or if you want to host one, please contact me for information.

Tactics – Theory versus rigid adherence. We train our SOP’s as basic skills, everyone should know and understand them. But also recognize that shit can and will change. Everything from furniture placement to the Bad Guy vote will alter basic principles. If you really understand what you are trying to acheive then you can rapidly apply basics when appropriate, and modify actions when it makes sense. Sometimes the modification will get you an ass chewing in training, even though it was the best damn move on the mission. Dont be dogmatic but dont be a total spaz either.

Guns – Relentless pursuit of perfection. To be an expert, you have to understand ALL aspects of shooting. Slow fire, dry fire, and ridiculous speed should all be a part of your training regimen. This includes missing sometimes to get out of your comfort zone. Other times it means 100% hits to ensure you are applying all of the fundamentals.

Politics – Pick your battles, but dont spend so much time picking them that you never fight any. Being a coward isn’t just running from the gunfight, it’s failing to engage in any good fight. Dont be a coward, that shit lasts forever.
 
Leadership – Live it, even if you arent a formal leader on your team. Your day is coming and its easier if you already are one.