Time to Reboot America

This is from Canada Free Press, worth the read http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/38521 Time to Reboot America  By Jim O'Neill  Sunday, July 17, 2011 “In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” “We have now sunk to a depth at which restatement of the obvious is the first duty of intelligent men.” —George Orwell, author of “1984” (1903-1950) I originally titled this article as a query, “Time To Reboot America?,” but after a little thought realized that there is no question—it is past time to reboot America. By “reboot” I mean that it is time for “we the people” to avail ourselves of the instructions left to us by the Founders: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.—That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,—That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.” Link There we have it; there it is; those are our marching orders. It is not only our right; it is our duty to fight a tyrannical, despotic government that holds sway over us, no matter under what label it hides—even when that government is wearing the garb of the United States of America. That we are indeed suffering under “a long train of abuses and usurpations” is no longer in doubt; no longer to be denied; no longer to be endured. So the question becomes “What to do?” How best to effect the overthrow of a blatantly anti-American elitist political/social cabal—as large, powerful, and entrenched as it is? As our Declaration of Independence notes, such an important and monumental task is not to be undertaken for “light and transient causes.” Nor should “we the people” commit ourselves to a foolish, or impatient course of action. About six months after Obama usurped the Presidency, readers started to email me asking “what can we do—what can I do?” “We the people” found various ways to get involved, and I stopped receiving such emails well before the November 2010 elections. The emails started up again a few months back, but with a difference—now people are wanting to know where to attack, when to attack, how to attack. To say that “the natives are restless” would be a gross understatement.  Link In the relatively short time since I started to cover the political scene during the 2008 elections, I have watched “we the people” go from confused, to dismayed, to angry, to “locked and loaded.” I suspect that the only reason that American Revolution II has remained on the back burner for as long as it has, is only because of a lack of leadership and direction. Walt Kelly’s statement that “we have met the enemy and he is us” was never more apropos than in regards to America today. Where do you point the gun without the risk of shooting yourself in the foot? (If you have not yet read Angelo M. Codevilla’s article “The Chosen,” then please do so. I’ll wait). Link                    America has been so thoroughly infiltrated and infested with traitorous elements that it has become difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff, the patriot from the traitor. Nonetheless we must move to save America (and with it freedom), and we must move with some alacrity. Link                              All well and good, but what sort of action, and in what direction? Aye, there’s the rub. For in moving against the “establishment”—which is now arrayed against “we the people”—we must be very careful not to fall into carrying out a scenario they have planned for us. I do not believe that we can wait until the 2012 elections to take back America, but that does not mean that I advocate a violent revolution, or taking to the streets pell-mell and directionless. In fact, it is my sincere wish that America can be spared such a thing. I would much prefer a “Velvet Revolution” comparable to the 1988 movement that overthrew the communist regime in Czechoslovakia. Link                  (Sidebar: kudos are in order for actor Jeremy Irons, who not only did the narration for a film on the “Velvet Revolution,” but also narrated the film on Lt. Michael Behenna—whose “Defend Michael” wrist-band I have worn for some time in support of him, the “Leavenworth 10,” and all of our US military who have been unjustly imprisoned). Link Link                                    When your house is on fire because of arson, finding out who the arsonist is, and why they lit the fire should not top your “To Do” list. Putting out the darn fire should be your number one priority. Nevertheless, “putting out the fire” in this case will involve jailing some of the lead “arsonists” as part of the process. That means “heads will roll”—in a purely figurative sense I hope. Freedom itself is at stake here I’m talking about pointing fingers, and naming names. I’m talking about jail time—serious jail time. I’m talking about mass movements to unseat treasonous Americans across the country. I’m talking about a “house cleaning” from top to bottom; side to side. I’m talking about some very serious stuff folks. Things you wouldn’t dream of doing for “light and transient causes.” Link  Freedom itself is at stake here. Future generations will live in freedom and light. or darkness and shackles, depending on what “we the people” do today. We did not want this fight, but it has fallen to us to be the torch-bearers, the Minute Men, the American patriots who once more take the fight to the enemy, and make them rue the day they messed with America. Most of you already know the score, so I won’t bother going over the long list of “abuses and usurpations”—which go back for decades, even though they are coming to a head just now. There is no sense in asking “why us.” It is what it is. (Personally, I have often wondered how I ended up writing about politics [“Why couldn’t I be churning out lucrative bodice-rippers about vampire love and lust, or some such. Why this?”]. Not wishing at this time to go into arcane details regarding karma, free-will, destiny, divine providence, and the like, I’ll simply repeat—it is what it is). Which means that it is up to “we the people” to put out the fire (“Once more unto the breech, dear friends, once more”). By the term “we the people” I mean that strong backbone of America that the country has always called upon in time of dire need—and who have always responded. It includes blue and white collar workers, high school dropouts and the highly educated, farmers and businessmen, soldiers and sailors…. Patriots all. Link                        Our country needs us—once again. The stakes involved are as big, and the outcome as uncertain as in any situation we have ever faced—including the Civil War, and Revolutionary War. God willing, this revolution will not be as painful and bloody as those in our past. But if it is—what of it? It is our watch, our duty, our time to stand tall—come hell or high water. The time has come to reboot America. The time for talk is done The time has come to reboot America. The time for talk is done. We should be about the business of forming patriotic cadres, groups and movements—from the national level down to splinter cells. The “Birther’s Summit” scheduled for next March, and the Oath Keepers “Operation Sleeping Giant” are good examples of what I’m talking about. We should do this now. Some of you have no doubt been involved in such action for some time. Now is the time to go into full battle mode. This is no drill. Link Link                                                                        We should keep on sending emails and letters, placing phone calls, knocking on doors, saying prayers, et al.—but there needs to be a new sense of urgency about it all. We need to ratchet things up—kick out the jams, pull out the stops, and throw back the throttle. We need to broaden our scope, deepen our commitment, and fire up our righteous indignation. I understand, and respect, the need for secrecy some of you must work under, but there is strength in numbers, and we should be about the business of openly organizing national as well as local NGOs to fight the enemy tooth and nail. Unseat them, impeach them, disgrace them, and otherwise use every legal means at our disposal to get rid of these parasitic leeches that have infested our country. Make sure that they understand just how much we despise them, and how unwelcome their traitorous, arrogant, anti-American agendas are. It is not a major concern that the bulk of Americans are still largely clueless about what is going on. It is to be expected after decades of intentional dumbing down, and a steady diet of disinformation, propaganda, and frivolous distractions via America’s various venues for “news” and entertainment. We do not need their participation. They are dead weight—but they are not the enemy. If someone is a NWO, one-world-government globalist, then they are the enemy If someone is a NWO, one-world-government globalist, then they are the enemy—you know their catch phrases and lingo by now. If someone is a Muslim Islamist, bent on world conquest through blatant or stealth jihad, then they are our enemy. I won’t go through the whole list—most of you know it by now anyway. They are the enemies of liberty and “unalienable rights.” They are the enemies of freedom and choice. They are the enemies of tradition and values. They are the enemies of families and marriage. They are the enemies of truth and honor. They are the enemies of the United States of America. They are the enemies of civilization itself. They are my enemy, and they are your enemy. After the shootings in Tucson the media propaganda outlets whined about Sarah Palin’s map that “zeroed in” on political opponents. Yeah well, they ain’t seen nothing yet—not by a long shot. We need to zero in on these dirt-bags and as Alinsky advised, “identify, isolate, and freeze them.” Time for the gloves to come off. Anything short of breaking the law is now on the table. It may appear that the enemy is vast and formidable, and I would certainly never underestimate them, but in fact, they are only a relative handful of fanatics. The sheeple who swell their ranks will be the last ones to awaken to how they have been played—but awaken they will.  Many of them are simply greedy, arrogant, self-centered twits, who wouldn’t know patriotism if it came up and bit them on the butt. Their mind-sets are largely dysfunctional and self-absorbed (arrogance, angst, and ennui, oh my). The dyed-in-the-wool fanatics are much fewer in number than “we the people,” and they are much less impressive when stripped of their media “loud-speakers” and political clout. That is, after all, why they went to such pains to subvert those institutions. It is the puppet-masters behind the fanatics, behind the sheeple, behind our corrupted politicians, who are dangerous—very dangerous indeed. Speaking of corrupted politicians; it is a naive mistake to think that just getting rid of the politicians currently in Washington DC will solve our problems. A number of America’s institutions are in desperate need of an over-haul. They should be included in the “house cleaning,” and it will require some time and effort to set things aright. I’m thinking mainly of our educational system, such as it is. One thing at a time—or everything-all-at-once, whatever works. Some folks mistake the police for our enemy, due mainly to a few duplicitous and corrupt leaders among them. It is well to keep in mind that, by and large, the police are filled with patriotic, conservative men and women who are dedicated to law and order, and preserving the peace. That means that the police should not, as a whole, ever be considered the enemy. For every Sheriff Dupnik, or Bacca, there are many more true patriots like Sheriff Mack, Sheriff Joe Arpaio, and Sheriff Paul Babeu. Beware of the exceptions, but the vast majority of the police are on our side—constrained as they may be at times by rules and fulfilling their jobs. Link Link                                                                                        Like the US government as a whole, the US military is riddled with quislings, brain-washed dupes, and traitors of various sorts, who will not uphold their oath to defend the US Constitution—but just as with the police, it would be a grave mistake to think of our armed forces as being the enemy—they are anything but. Granted, some of the treasonous scum currently strutting their stuff at the Pentagon would turn on “we the people” in a heartbeat, but the vast majority of the junior grade officers, and the rank and file, will refuse to fire upon their fellow Americans—won’t you, junior grade officers, and rank and file? If they are unsure, they had better make up their minds in a hurry. The moment after receiving an order, that they know in their heart is wrong, is not the time to join the debating society. They need to know beforehand where their allegiance lies—with America and the US Constitution, or with a temporary despotic regime. They need to make up their minds now. “I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic….” Words are cheap—integrity and valor will cost you. Link              Patriotic organizations such as we currently have, need to step things up a notch—make that several notches. At the same time, we need to take as a given that any openly patriotic movement will attract enemy infiltrators like a magnet. Also, there are bound to be enemy sources of discord and disinformation masquerading as patriotic NGOs. These should be lumped together with other elements of controlled opposition, and dealt with as time and opportunity allow. If we wish to minimize disorder and bloodshed, then acting now is our last chance to avoid major chaos and violence. If we act now riots worse than the ones in the 1960s may erupt, but if we do not act now, the results will make the riots of the late sixties look like quaint schoolyard squabbles. There is a rapidly closing window of opportunity in which we have the luxury of doing things legally and non-violently. After that window closes all bets are off. Après cette, le déluge. Although “we the people” no doubt have numerous people in our midst who would make the eco-terrorists look like rank amateurs, if the situation deteriorates to guerrilla warfare and sabotage, then we have lost America as a country, and it will devolve into a Byzantine network of splinter factions, regions, and enclaves. If that scenario should become a reality, then heads will roll—literally. That eventuality must be prepared for as well. May God grant we avoid it. Lest you think that the views expressed in this article are extreme, I suggest that you find and read some far right blogs and websites. In comparison, I am the voice of moderation and prudence itself. My point here is that while the liberal propaganda outlets no doubt consider the views I express to be extreme; the truth is that they are the ones who are extreme—extremely to the left. What is essentially a rather moderate conservative view becomes skewed under their warped perception into something rabidly far right. At worst, they can accuse us of being what—anti-globalists? “We the people” are certainly not anti-American. America is what we are fighting for. We are not the ones leading our country to dark ruination through arrogant stupidity, avarice, and design. We are not the one’s lauding one-world-government over America—disdaining America, reviling America, destroying America. That is their job—and they excel at it. As I close, let me say that America needs to bring God back into our national fabric.  This, more than anything else, is what our country sorely needs. We have lost our moral anchor, our guiding star, and only acceptance of God, and His natural law, can return us to our intended course. God either exists or He does not. If He does not exist, then nothing ultimately matters, and we are left with naught but the ash heap of atheistic nihilism. But if God exists (and oh He does), then we would have to be insane to deny His existence, or more commonly, we would need to be in secret (often a secret hidden even from ourselves) rebellion against God—refusing to acknowledge anything higher, more important, or more worthy of devotion than our own sweet selves. Such an attitude is a soul sickness, and America is sick in her soul. Link                            There is another worse case scenario than the one I mentioned earlier, of course. The world may be drawn into a nuclear Armageddon, or a biological disaster, or some other life-ending catastrophic event. It is always a good idea to get right with God—now so, more than ever. It is time to reboot America. May God guide, bless, and protect us in our endeavors to keep the torch of freedom lit. “We the people” did not ask for, or want this fight, but with God’s grace we will d—n sure win this fight. For ourselves, for our children, for humanity, for freedom. Jim O'Neill  Bio Jim O'Neill Most recent columns Born in June of 1951 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Jim O’Neill (constitutionalwrites.com) proudly served in the U.S. Navy from 1970-1974 in both UDT-21 (Underwater Demolition Team) and SEAL Team Two.  A member of MENSA, he worked as a commercial diver in the waters off Scotland, India, and the United States. In 1998 while attending the University of South Florida as a journalism student, O’Neill won “First Place” in the “Carol Burnett/University of Hawaii AEJMC Research in Journalism Ethics Award.”  The annual contest was set up by Carol Burnett with the money she won from successfully suing the National Enquirer for libel. Jim can be reached at: lausdeo.jim@gmail.com

Operation Castaway, The New Gunrunner Scandal?

Operation Castaway, The New Gunrunner Scandal?

Mr. President Please

Mr. President Please

Mr. President Please

Mr. President Please

Small unit leadership 3

Small unit leadership 3

Rancher Killed in New Mexico

Rancher Killed in New Mexico

Small Unit Leadership 2

Small Unit Leadership 2

Small unit leadership1

Small unit leadership1

Bob and Bob's 1st podcast

Bob and Bob's 1st podcast

AND LIFE GOES ON!

Just recently, last Friday to be exact, Bob and I did our last show on The Watchmen.FM radio network. It was a bittersweet moment, doing the show knowing that we would be not be back on the air with this particular group again. We did reflect on the past times briefly, and look back at how we got involved with the radio medium to start with. We knew that when we signed off this time, we would be closing another chapter in our lives, however we also would be starting a new chapter. This is the way of life, we must evolve from one phase to another or we become stagnant both in mind and soul. I believe that this is part of the problem with our nation now, we as a free people have stopped evolving.  We are at this point deciding which direction we take next, which way we can do the most good for America and the patriots the inhabit her.
The nation was founded by hard working people that were constantly trying to achieve more, and better their lives. Somehow a lot of people got away from the idea that we were supposed to work to better our selves, and a large segment of the nation now believes that it is the responsibility of someone else to provide for their comforts. Unfortunately the politicians, or at least a great many of them saw this changing morality and lifestyle as a means to provide them with a life in politics with all the perks and benefits that go along with that position. This led to a vicious circle, of I will give you more and expect less with the understanding that you vote for me so I can continue to do this. This has led us along with some other factors such as illegal immigration, inflation, increasing government, rampant irresponsible spending crime and fraud in government has led America to the brink of bankruptcy.  We are almost at the point where 50 percent of Americans work to support the other 50 percent that don't. We give our jobs away to criminals, we give our welfare away to criminals, we give away America's heart and soul away to criminals. The sad part is, the politicians seem to feel we owe these criminals something! WE OWE THESE CRIMINALS NOTHING!!!!!!! If you come home and find a criminal ransacking your house, you have the police arrest them, or if they threaten you, you protect yourself. There is no difference between that and what the illegals are doing to our country, they are CRIMINALS who have invaded our country for the purpose of raping and pillaging her and carrying off the the the freedoms that we cherish the most. They have brought drugs and murder and kidnapping and mayhem to our country and the politicians say we should welcome them with open arms because we are "AMERICA". Yes we are America, and millions of us want to stay America, we do not want to give away our country, our rights, and our freedoms away to a horde of invaders who think so little of our country that they sneak across our borders like thieves in the night. They do not come to our doors and ask to be allowed to come in, most Americans that I know would welcome immigrants like those. Immigrants that legitimately want to improve their lives, who want to be a part of the  heart and soul of America. Instead we are expected to accept those thieves in the night simply because they were successful in sneaking in. I wonder if I were to sneak into a senators house, in the middle of the night, make myself dinner, pick out a nice bed and get a good nights sleep then join him for breakfast and explain that since I had been able to sneak in and stay, it was now his responsibility to feed, support, clothe and provide shelter and spending money, as well as educate me, just how long would I be welcome before I was locked up. I do not see any difference in this scenario than the way illegals enter our country, the only difference I see is I would be in jail and they would be in my house living the good life.
The politicians are right, we do need to have immigration reform. we need to go back to actually enforcing the law of our land, and if you break that law you will be treated as the criminal that you are, not as an honored guest. You will be thrown back across the same border you snuck in over. We need to start suing the countries, Mexico for one that do not enforce their border restrictions and that in some cases actually facilitate the criminal actions of their citizens rather than suing our own states for trying to enforce the law of the land. We need to go back to the way our CONSTITUTION says this country was supposed to be run, and forget all the liberal ideas that WE have to support every third world country and support all their poor and hungry while we ignore those in our own country. May God bless and guide our country in its coming trials.
I would like to end this piece, with a word of thanks and my deepest respect to all of those people living and dead that have given of their lives, and in many cases given their lives not for their country, as you hear so much, but they have given so that YOU may live your life and enjoy the freedom and rights that God has given you as an AMERICAN CITIZEN!!! You can follow Bob and I on twitter, on the front page of our web site, and for information on future endeavors you can contact us at  bobandbobnm@yahoo.com.

Factors of METT_T a checklist copy and print

Revised and expanded Principles of Leadership

Due to many requests for explanations of the Principals of Leadership Posted last week  here is one with the Principals briefly explained. Copy and paste.  \Read 'em, Learn 'em, and Live 'em!
1. Know yourself and seek self-improvement.

Don’t lie to yourself. Know your abilities as best as you can. Know your strengths and weaknesses. What you can and can’t do. What you know and don’t know. Find those weaknesses and improve upon them. Don’t think that you can do something when you can’t or haven’t the knowledge to pursue such. With that, seek that knowledge out and learn how to. If you have a certain weakness, seek out a way to overcome it.

2. Be technically proficient.

This goes without saying. Know your equipment and the equipment

that is being utilized by those under your leadership. Know everything about it. How it can be

used and when it can’t. Know all the skills that have to be utilized to accomplish a mission. One

cannot conduct a certain functions when one doesn’t know how to function. Familiarize yourself

and master the skills that have to be used by those under your leadership. Know how things have

to be done and what is needed to accomplish a given task.

3. Seek responsibility and take responsibility for your actions.

An irresponsible leader is no leader at all. A leader MUST take charge. When a mistake has been made, take the responsibility for it. Those under your leadership will respect you for it. A leader must be trusted in order to get those under his/her leadership to follow them; trust is earned, not given.

4. Make sound and timely decisions.

For this, you must know what you are doing. Following principle number 2 will aid in your accomplishment of this by being technically proficient. If you know what you are doing you will be able to make sound and timely decisions. In addition, get feedback from your subordinates about decisions made or to be made. This puts all your resources together, utilizing all the knowledge and experience available.

5. Set the example.

Yes, a commonsense one. You MUST set the example for those under your leadership. You must always be setting an example for them in all aspects. Militia Troops constantly assess the character of their leaders as they observe day-to-day actions. The character you exhibit

through daily example should be consistent with the individual values of courage, candor,

competence, and commitment. Militia troops respect leaders who provide strength, inspiration, and guidance.

6. Know your Troops and look out for their well-being.

Know your Troops well. Know their abilities, how well they are trained, their weaknesses, etc. Know them personally. We are all unique individuals. The better you know them, the better you will be able to lead them. Always look out for their well-being. As their leader, they trust you and need you to ensure they are well taken care of. Watch for them in all angles. Their Abilities, their health, their personal life, their needs. Know what they are thinking as best as you can. How they are feeling. A Trooper with sore feet or one that is bored won’t be of any use to you in a patrol, plus his/her morale will drop and even turn against you. When you don’t look out for them, they will turn on you fast. Make sure they have the equipment they need and are well fed. They depend on you to look out for them, do so as a quality leader.

7. Keep subordinates informed.

You must keep your subordinates well informed as to what is going on. They are the ones that make things happen for you and they cannot do so ill informed.

Additionally, they are the ones who replace you in the event you are not in attendance. Nobody is irreplaceable; all must be expendable in order for success to happen. When your subordinates

are well informed and understand what needs to take place and why, they will better accomplish

their tasks.

8. Develop a sense of responsibility in your subordinates.

By doing this, they will take the initiative when needed. Things will get done. This also allows you the ability to delegate tasks unto them. They are leaders too, let them be. Give them responsibility and expect them to be responsible for their actions.

9. Ensure the task is understood, supervised, and accomplished.

 If the task isn’t understood, how can they carry it out? Make sure they understand what exactly it is that you need from them. Ask questions and allow them to ask them in return. Get feedback, only by getting feedback will you know if you were understood. Make sure the task is supervised in order to ensure it is being undertaken properly and timely. Make sure the task has been accomplished first hand. Inspect and praise for a job well done. Correct where and when needed and encourage them.

10. Train your Troopers as a team! .

When you merely have a unit, you only have a clump of people gathered together. Things do not get done and tensions build. Build a team spirit. Everything is accomplished as one. Team players have higher morale and get the job done faster and more effectively. When you have a tight based team, you can overcome most obstacles. When you bring your Militia Troopers together for musters and Field Training Exercises’ (FTX”s) focus on those training tasks that you can only do together as a team.

11. Employ your unit in accordance with its abilities.

Obviously a brand New fire team cannot take on the Special forces. Use your Troops for what they have been trained for and what they have the ability to accomplish. If they don’t have the ability to accomplish a given task, don’t use them for it. ( Special Note NEVER set your troops up to show them how much they don’t know.! ALWAYS cover whatever skills they will need to accomplish the next training task.

 11 Leadership Principles

• Be tactically and technically proficient
• Know yourself and seek self-improvement
• Know your soldiers and look out for their welfare
• Keep your soldiers informed
• Set the example
• Ensure the task is understood, supervised and accomplished
• Train your soldiers as a team
• Make sound and timely decisions
• Develop a sense of responsibility in your subordinates
• Employ your unit in accordance with its capabilities
• Seek responsibility and take responsibility for your actions

Militia Mondays

Due to te popularity of the Militia segments of our shows, Bob and I are happy to announce that we are starting a series of shows airing on Monday starting April 25 2 pm mountain time, 4 pm eastern and each Monday after that. This will be the Bob and Bob Militia Monday Show.
We are looking forward to sharing inforation with all the loyal patriots out there. We hope to have some active interactions with our listeners. We do not expect everyone to agree with us, and look forward to having some interesting conversations with those that call in.
We always welcome callers to the show and look forward to hearing from you.

A Primer on Situational Awareness

Created Jun 10 2010 - 03:56

STRATFOR Books

• How to Look for Trouble: A STRATFOR Guide to Protective Intelligence
• How to Live in a Dangerous World: A STRATFOR Guide to Protecting Yourself, Your Family and Your Business

Related Special Topic Page

• Travel Security
• Surveillance and Countersurveillance
• Personal Security

By Scott Stewart
The world is a wonderful place, but it can also be a dangerous one. In almost every corner of the globe militants of some political persuasion are plotting terror attacks — and these attacks can happen in London or New York, not just in Peshawar or Baghdad. Meanwhile, criminals operate wherever there are people, seeking to steal, rape, kidnap or kill.
Regardless of the threat, it is very important to recognize that criminal and terrorist attacks do not materialize out of thin air. In fact, quite the opposite is true. Criminals and terrorists follow a process when planning their actions, and this process has several distinct steps. This process has traditionally been referred to as the “terrorist attack cycle,” but if one looks at the issue thoughtfully, it becomes apparent that the same steps apply to nearly all crimes. Of course, there will be more time between steps in a complex crime like a kidnapping or car bombing than there will be between steps in a simple crime such as purse-snatching or shoplifting, where the steps can be completed quite rapidly. Nevertheless, the same steps are usually followed.
People who practice situational awareness can often spot this planning process as it unfolds and then take appropriate steps to avoid the dangerous situation or prevent it from happening altogether. Because of this, situational awareness is one of the key building blocks of effective personal security — and when exercised by large numbers of people, it can also be an important facet of national security. Since situational awareness is so important, and because we discuss situational awareness so frequently in our analyses, we thought it would be helpful to discuss the subject in detail and provide a primer that can be used by people in all sorts of situations.

Foundations

First and foremost, it needs to be noted that being aware of one’s surroundings and identifying potential threats and dangerous situations is more of a mindset than a hard skill. Because of this, situational awareness is not something that can be practiced only by highly trained government agents or specialized corporate security countersurveillance teams. Indeed, it can be exercised by anyone with the will and the discipline to do so.
An important element of the proper mindset is to first recognize that threats exist. Ignorance or denial of a threat — or completely tuning out one’s surroundings while in a public place — makes a person’s chances of quickly recognizing the threat and avoiding it slim to none. This is why apathy, denial and complacency can be (and often are) deadly. A second important element is understanding the need to take responsibility for one’s own security. The resources of any government are finite and the authorities simply cannot be everywhere and cannot stop every criminal action. The same principle applies to private security at businesses or other institutions, like places of worship. Therefore, people need to look out for themselves and their neighbors.
Another important facet of this mindset is learning to trust your “gut” or intuition. Many times a person’s subconscious can notice subtle signs of danger that the conscious mind has difficulty quantifying or articulating. Many people who are victimized frequently experience such feelings of danger prior to an incident, but choose to ignore them. Even a potentially threatening person not making an immediate move — or even if the person wanders off quickly after a moment of eye contact — does not mean there was no threat.

Levels of Awareness

People typically operate on five distinct levels of awareness. There are many ways to describe these levels (“Cooper’s colors,” for example, which is a system frequently used in law enforcement and military training), but perhaps the most effective way to illustrate the differences between the levels is to compare them to the different degrees of attention we practice while driving. For our purposes here we will refer to the five levels as “tuned out;” “relaxed awareness;” “focused awareness;” “high alert” and “comatose.”
The first level, tuned out, is like when you are driving in a very familiar environment or are engrossed in thought, a daydream, a song on the radio or even by the kids fighting in the backseat. Increasingly, cell phone calls and texting are also causing people to tune out while they drive. Have you ever gotten into the car and arrived somewhere without even really thinking about your drive there? If so, then you’ve experienced being tuned out.
The second level of awareness, relaxed awareness, is like defensive driving. This is a state in which you are relaxed but you are also watching the other cars on the road and are looking well ahead for potential road hazards. If another driver looks like he may not stop at the intersection ahead, you tap your brakes to slow your car in case he does not. Defensive driving does not make you weary, and you can drive this way for a long time if you have the discipline to keep yourself at this level, but it is very easy to slip into tuned-out mode. If you are practicing defensive driving you can still enjoy the trip, look at the scenery and listen to the radio, but you cannot allow yourself to get so engrossed in those distractions that they exclude everything else. You are relaxed and enjoying your drive, but you are still watching for road hazards, maintaining a safe following distance and keeping an eye on the behavior of the drivers around you.
The next level of awareness, focused awareness, is like driving in hazardous road conditions. You need to practice this level of awareness when you are driving on icy or slushy roads — or the roads infested with potholes and erratic drivers that exist in many third-world countries. When you are driving in such an environment, you need to keep two hands on the wheel at all times and have your attention totally focused on the road and the other drivers. You don’t dare take your eyes off the road or let your attention wander. There is no time for cell phone calls or other distractions. The level of concentration required for this type of driving makes it extremely tiring and stressful. A drive that you normally would not think twice about will totally exhaust you under these conditions because it demands your prolonged and total concentration.
The fourth level of awareness is high alert. This is the level that induces an adrenaline rush, a prayer and a gasp for air all at the same time — “Watch out! There’s a deer in the road! Hit the brakes!” This also happens when that car you are watching doesn’t stop at the stop sign and pulls out right in front of you. High alert can be scary, but at this level you are still able to function. You can hit your brakes and keep your car under control. In fact, the adrenalin rush you get at this stage can sometimes even aid your reflexes. But, the human body can tolerate only short periods of high alert before becoming physically and mentally exhausted.
The last level of awareness, comatose, is what happens when you literally freeze at the wheel and cannot respond to stimuli, either because you have fallen asleep, or, at the other end of the spectrum, because you are petrified from panic. It is this panic-induced paralysis that concerns us most in relation to situational awareness. The comatose level of awareness (or perhaps more accurately, lack of awareness) is where you go into shock, your brain ceases to process information and you simply cannot react to the reality of the situation. Many times when this happens, a person can go into denial, believing that “this can’t be happening to me,” or the person can feel as though he or she is observing, rather than actually participating in, the event. Often, the passage of time will seem to grind to a halt. Crime victims frequently report experiencing this sensation and being unable to act during an unfolding crime.

Finding the Right Level

Now that we’ve discussed the different levels of awareness, let’s focus on identifying what level is ideal at a given time. The body and mind both require rest, so we have to spend several hours each day at the comatose level while asleep. When we are sitting at our homes watching a movie or reading a book, it is perfectly fine to operate in the tuned-out mode. However, some people will attempt to maintain the tuned-out mode in decidedly inappropriate environments (e.g., when they are out on the street at night in a third-world barrio), or they will maintain a mindset wherein they deny that they can be victimized by criminals. “That couldn’t happen to me, so there’s no need to watch for it.” They are tuned out.
Some people are so tuned out as they go through life that they miss even blatant signs of pending criminal activity directed specifically at them. In 1992, an American executive living in the Philippines was kidnapped by a Marxist kidnapping gang in Manila known as the “Red Scorpion Group.” When the man was debriefed following his rescue, he described in detail how the kidnappers had blocked off his car in traffic and abducted him. Then, to the surprise of the debriefing team, he said that on the day before he was abducted, the same group of guys had attempted to kidnap him at the exact same location, at the very same time of day and driving the same vehicle. The attackers had failed to adequately box his car in, however, and his driver was able to pull around the blocking vehicle and proceed to the office.
Since the executive did not consider himself to be a kidnapping target, he had just assumed that the incident the day before his abduction was “just another close call in crazy Manila traffic.” The executive and his driver had both been tuned out. Unfortunately, the executive paid for this lack of situational awareness by having to withstand an extremely traumatic kidnapping, which included almost being killed in the dramatic Philippine National Police operation that rescued him.
If you are tuned out while you are driving and something happens — say, a child runs out into the road or a car stops quickly in front of you — you will not see the problem coming. This usually means that you either do not see the hazard in time to avoid it and you hit it, or you totally panic and cannot react to it — neither is good. These reactions (or lack of reaction) occur because it is very difficult to change mental states quickly, especially when the adjustment requires moving several steps, say, from tuned out to high alert. It is like trying to shift your car directly from first gear into fifth and it shudders and stalls. Many times, when people are forced to make this mental jump and they panic (and stall), they go into shock and will actually freeze and be unable to take any action — they go comatose. This happens not only when driving but also when a criminal catches someone totally unaware and unprepared. While training does help people move up and down the alertness continuum, it is difficult for even highly trained individuals to transition from tuned out to high alert. This is why police officers, federal agents and military personnel receive so much training on situational awareness.
It is critical to stress here that situational awareness does not mean being paranoid or obsessively concerned about your security. It does not mean living with the irrational expectation that there is a dangerous criminal lurking behind every bush. In fact, people simply cannot operate in a state of focused awareness for extended periods, and high alert can be maintained only for very brief periods before exhaustion sets in. The “flight or fight” response can be very helpful if it can be controlled. When it gets out of control, however, a constant stream of adrenaline and stress is simply not healthy for the body or the mind. When people are constantly paranoid, they become mentally and physically burned out. Not only is this dangerous to physical and mental health, but security also suffers because it is very hard to be aware of your surroundings when you are a complete basket case. Therefore, operating constantly in a state of high alert is not the answer, nor is operating for prolonged periods in a state of focused alert, which can also be overly demanding and completely enervating. This is the process that results in alert fatigue. The human body was simply not designed to operate under constant stress. People (even highly skilled operators) require time to rest and recover.
Because of this, the basic level of situational awareness that should be practiced most of the time is relaxed awareness, a state of mind that can be maintained indefinitely without all the stress and fatigue associated with focused awareness or high alert. Relaxed awareness is not tiring, and it allows you to enjoy life while rewarding you with an effective level of personal security. When you are in an area where there is potential danger (which, by definition, is almost anywhere), you should go through most of your day in a state of relaxed awareness. Then if you spot something out of the ordinary that could be a potential threat, you can “dial yourself up” to a state of focused awareness and take a careful look at that potential threat (and also look for others in the area).
If the potential threat proves innocuous, or is simply a false alarm, you can dial yourself back down into relaxed awareness and continue on your merry way. If, on the other hand, you look and determine that the potential threat is a probable threat, seeing it in advance allows you to take actions to avoid it. You may never need to elevate to high alert, since you have avoided the problem at an early stage. However, once you are in a state of focused awareness you are far better prepared to handle the jump to high alert if the threat does change from potential to actual — if the three guys lurking on the corner do start coming toward you and look as if they are reaching for weapons. The chances of you going comatose are far less if you jump from focused awareness to high alert than if you are caught by surprise and “forced” to go into high alert from tuned out. An illustration of this would be the difference between a car making a sudden stop in front of a person when the driver is practicing defensive driving, compared to a car that makes a sudden stop in front of a person when the driver is sending a text message.
Of course, if you know that you must go into an area that is very dangerous, you should dial yourself up to focused awareness when you are in that area. For example, if there is a specific section of highway where a lot of improvised explosive devices detonate and ambushes occur, or if there is a part of a city that is controlled (and patrolled) by criminal gangs — and you cannot avoid these danger areas for whatever reason — it would be prudent to heighten your level of awareness when you are in those areas. An increased level of awareness is also prudent when engaging in common or everyday tasks, such as visiting an ATM or walking to the car in a dark parking lot. The seemingly trivial nature of these common tasks can make it all too easy to go on “autopilot” and thus expose yourself to threats. When the time of potential danger has passed, you can then go back to a state of relaxed awareness.
This process also demonstrates the importance of being familiar with your environment and the dangers that are present there. Such awareness allows you to avoid many threats and to be on the alert when you must venture into a dangerous area.
Clearly, few of us are living in the type of intense threat environment currently found in places like Mogadishu, Juarez or Kandahar. Nonetheless, average citizens all over the world face many different kinds of threats on a daily basis — from common thieves and assailants to criminals and mentally disturbed individuals aiming to conduct violent acts to militants wanting to carry out large-scale attacks against subways and aircraft.
Many of the steps required to conduct these attacks must be accomplished in a manner that makes the actions visible to the potential victim and outside observers. It is at these junctures that people practicing situational awareness can detect these attack steps, avoid the danger and alert the authorities. When people practice situational awareness they not only can keep themselves safer but they can also help keep others safe. And when groups of people practice situational awareness together they can help keep their schools, houses of worship, workplaces and cities safe from danger.
And as we’ve discussed many times before, as the terrorist threat continues to devolve into one almost as diffuse as the criminal threat, ordinary citizens are also becoming an increasingly important national security resource.

• Terrorism/Security
• Scott Stewart
• United States
• Security Weekly

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Source URL: http://www.stratfor.com/weekly/20100609_primer_situational_awareness

Links:
[1] http://www.stratfor.com
[2] http://astore.amazon.com/stratfor03-20/detail/1451528205
[3] http://astore.amazon.com/stratfor03-20/detail/1442153733
[4] http://www.stratfor.com/themes/travel_security
[5] http://www.stratfor.com/themes/surveillance_and_countersurveillance
[6] http://www.stratfor.com/themes/personal_security
[7] http://www.stratfor.com/weekly/20100519_look_kidnapping_through_lens_protective_intelligence
[8] http://www.stratfor.com/themes/terrorist_attack_cycle
[9] http://www.stratfor.com/threats_situational_awareness_and_perspective
[10] http://www.stratfor.com/weekly/20100512_setting_record_grassroots_jihadism