Defensive Planning (Part 1): Contingency Planning and Threat Courses of Action
The fundamentals for planning a good defense are the same, whether you are a military planner preparing to defend South Korea, a law enforcement/security professional…
DISCUSSION: How to Train with Limited Resources
INTRODUCTION For this week’s discussion, we would like to hear your ideas for how to conduct, realistic and effective training, despite the ever-present challenges of…
A Good Selection Course Never Ends
According to the Special Tactics philosophy, two critical factors have a greater impact on combat performance than any other: training and selection. While we have…
DISCUSSION: How Important is Stopping Power?
INTRODUCTION This is the first of a new series of Special Tactics on-line discussions. As always, there are no “right” answers since everything depends on…
The Biggest Obstacle to Tactical Progress… and How to Beat It
In our opinion, the biggest obstacle to tactical progress is the fact that when tactical professionals get together to train or share ideas, they often…
Combat Fitness (Part 2): Performance Evaluations
INTRODUCTION: This second installment in our three-part article on combat fitness provides some examples and suggestions for how to develop “combat performance evaluations.” The article…
Winning the Fight: Managing Uncertainty
How can we prepare for the unexpected? Whether you are a military leader, law enforcement officer, or a citizen trying to protect your home, attempting…
High-Intensity Urban Combat Tactics
How must urban combat tactics change if the United States and its allies find themselves in a high-intensity conventional war against a modern, combined arms…
Combat Fitness (Part 1): A Mission-Focused Approach
Many debates on tactical fitness focus on the question of which exercises or routines are the most effective. We believe this is the wrong question…
We Have Fire Drills… Why Not Active Shooter Drills?
Terrorist attacks have increased dramatically across the United States and Europe and it is unlikely that the frequency and lethality of attacks will diminish in…