Thanks for the many questions! I’m glad to answer them here. Feel free to email through this site, sign up for the very occasional newsletter, or put us on your RSS feed.
How do the recent military situational awareness training programs you posted relate to your work? Is there a connection? POST HERE
Good question. The recent programs specifically address enhancing sensory channels like vision, auditory, olfactory, even gustatory in addition to the kinesthetic “knowing.” This is new in the broader field of situational awareness training. I’ve been teaching a model based on enhancing sensory perception channels and modifying preconscious filters since the 1980s. I don’t claim connection to the evolution of those trainings. I do know the people involved in the creation of those programs (Program Managers and Subject Matter Experts) and they are familiar with my work. I post those reference manuals and the video to show how the field of situational awareness training and research has dramatically changed in recent years to pivot to the model that I’ve been teaching and refining in the field since the 80s. That body of knowledge and know-how is helpful to people who work with me in adapting the military programs to their purposes or designing programs of their own.
In your post on BABY DRIVER AND CAR-JACKING you used some terminology I don’t understand: What is a sweeper and a ghost? POST HERE
A sweeper is like a cleaner. (Just kidding!)
That’s some 80s era jargon from close protection teams, especially those trained by the SAS. A sweeper is a plain clothes operator whose job is to linger after the departure of the VIP protection convoy, specifically looking for anyone surveilling the departure and texting/phoning ahead. Their job is to blend in and watch the crowd, assessing demeanor and other behavioral cues that would indicate undue interest in the team departure. A ghost is a similar function (and I’m referring to the 80s usage, not the current usage which is a completely deniable special operator with no identity or linkage to any government organization etc). A ghost is a plain clothes/undercover surveillance specialist whose primary function is counter-surveillance or counter-counter-surveillance. In the context of VIP protection, you send the ghost ahead of you as a covert advance (assuming that you have an overt one that requires coordination with venue managers or law enforcement). The ghost just hangs out, establishes the baseline of the place, looks for ambush or surveillance indicators, and then lingers behind after VIP event to notice any concurrent behavior or departures that might indicate surveillance on the VIP and team. It’s also a function to spot and identify and on occasion deal with counter-surveillance — other operators out there looking for the surveillance people.
Did you read “X” study I sent you and what did you think?
Yes, I at least skimmed the study (and I receive and read many — I average 4-5 studies a day I skim or read) you sent me. I prefer not to get into off line discussions about the research and transfer any particular noteworthy studies here to share with my larger audience. As I’ve said before, my focus in research is how to APPLY the research — not delve the rabbit hole for further study work in any particular area. Thanks for sending!
I appreciate your posts on super soldier, especially the one about training a 5-year-old to kill. Thanks for bringing up the moral dilemmas. POST HERE
You’re most welcome. I find most people still think that Super Soldiers are a Marvel comic, and are completely unaware of how far and fast human augmentation has proceeded. And, as is the case with most technical innovations, far ahead of any legal, moral or ethical considerations in terms of implementation. I was for a time in the 80s the close protection operator for a General in the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission in South Korea. He shared with me part of a threat assessment that detailed what I outlined as the training program of the Kim Il Sung Brigade mentioned in that blog post. Take that same approach and couple high tech to it — that’s what we’re dealing with now.
Loving AIR MARSHALS! BUY HERE
Glad that novel is still getting love. It was the first one I wrote back in the 90s. It got me an agent who got NO OTHER OPTION published. I published it on Amazon Kindle after the urging of friends who’d read it. While it’s dated, it’s still entertaining reading and allegedly quite popular with the current crop of Federal Air Marshals.
How come I’ve never heard of you? I’m a (insert: Master of Gun-Fu, Forum Tyrannosaur, Tactical Training Guru/Nerd, aka known generically as Tacti Kool Kids)
’cause I’m the Forrest Gump of the Tacti-Kool World
You mentioned doing a Zoom class series. How do I sign up for that?
I’m experimenting with how well my material transfers to Zoom. My first venture is an invite-only no-charge master class for my instructors, most still active duty, and a handful of others. Depending on how well that works and their expert feedback, I may expand that to some kind of open-enrollment. To be determined. Stay tuned.
What’s the status of the next books? THE REVENGERS and SITUATIONAL AWARENESS?
I’m working on both. I’m dealing with business and health issues which are distracting me but I should have a better handle on that in a month. I’m also juggling streamer interest (think NETFLIX!) about THE REVENGERS. I’ve been down the Hollywood road many times since my first book, and I’ve learned not to get my hopes up. Still, it’s cool.
What do you do for fun?
Drink excellent coffee, eat ice cream, talk (a lot), teach, read, write, watch movies, hike, camp, travel, watch ballet, read poetry, shoot (for fun), knife fight, surf YouTube, date dangerous women as long as they don’t live in my time zone. Just regular dude stuff, to steal Pat Mac’s tagline.
You’d be more successful promoting your work if you were more serious about your presentation.
