NR Lowlight Manual 2014 Ken J Good

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NIGHT REAPER SYSTEMSSerious Illumination Tools

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Ken J. Good has been actively involvedwith Law Enforcement and Militarytraining for the past 30 years.

Mr. Good is a published author and is regularly a guest instructor at a variety of well-known industry schools, seminars, and training venues.

Mr. Good started his professional at arms experience by graduating as the honor graduate of Basic Underwater Demolition/SEALTraining (BUD/S) class #105, Dec, 7th, 1979.

He served the remainder of his active-duty with SEAL Team One. There he was a Scout/Sniper instructor, small unit tacticsinstructor and worked extensively with small arms as an ordnance department representative and platoon armorer.

After his active-duty, Mr. Good later directed a Physical Security program for the Pacific Fleet for nearly a decade that included avariety of programs including an emergent reality-based training program, challenging small arms courses and other security andanti-terrorist related curriculums. Civilian Law Enforcement personnel started gravitating toward this training at this location andthe connectivity with Law Enforcement began.

Mr. Good received numerous awards and letters of commendation for his work at Fleet Training Center, San Diego. From there, Mr.Good co-founded a small, highly progressive training company in the mid-1980s called, Combative Concepts Inc.

He then became the founding director of a well-known Low-Light Training Institution.During his tenure there, Mr. Good directed the activities of a highly qualified staff thatpushed forward and codified low-light strategies as they related to high-risk entrywork and general patrol operations. The staff was closely involved with productdevelopment and served to form a living bridge between the engineering staff andoperational realities.

Progessive Combat Solutions LLC was started to push the envelope outward in annever-ending quest to bring relevant low-light concepts and practical training tothose who go in harms way.

Mr. Good has also stood up Night Reaper Systems LLC to design, manufacture anddistribute leading-edge illumination tools.

Tactical Training: www.progressivecombat.comIllumination Tools: www.nightreaper.com

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About the Author:

Francine Lunati-Good - My Beloved WifeFrancine has endured my long hours and days away from home and my persistent (often stated as stubborn and arrogant) personality, so thatwe could pursue to the Nth degree what does and does not work in the low-light environment.

Michael James Good - My SonMichael does not always get to see his father as much as he would like to as many sons and daughters of those in this profession alsoexperience. To my little warrior, may I have his youthful exuberance all my life.

Fellow Partners, Instructors, and Friends No man is an island. Without the constant support, scrutiny, and suggestions of those around me this curriculum would not have become areality. Special thanks to Mark Warren, Rod Schaeffer, Steve Decker, and Ty Moeder, long time devoted instructor/trainers and active dutypolice officers for their assistance in this project. Appreciation goes out to Mitch Brim for his research into case law relating to thiscurriculum.

Law Enforcement and Military Professionals around the GlobeHeart-felt thanks to all those that have participated in the training and real world operations over the years (staff and student alike). Theseexperiences have provided the basis from which these concepts have been formulated, reviewed and improved upon. I would also like toparticularly thank members of the New York Police Departments Emergency Services Unit (ESU), who helped us in time of need in ways theyprobably cannot fully appreciate. Pete, Frank, Richie -Thanks Guys!

Col. John Boyd, USAFAlthough Col. Boyd is no longer with us, his understanding of mind and space brought forth the powerful OODA model (Boyd's Cycle). Firstexposure to this cycle freed my mind from many chains. Proper understanding of his concepts leads to true personal and unit operationalreadiness in a wide array of combative situations.

Dave Maynard - Naval Special Warfare / Co-founder of Combative Concepts Inc.Mr. Maynard was a pioneer in Force-on-Force training methodologies and low-light operations. His teaching style, understanding of humannature and gregarious personality have significantly influenced the presentation of this doctrine.

Brian Puckett, Writer Mr. Puckett's efforts were instrumental in compiling technical and historical data for the Flashlight Techniques section of this curriculum.

Robert Dawson, frmr Huntington Beach Police Officer, FAA Investigator, TrainerMr. Dawson's expertise in a wide variety of shooting disciplines, commitment to excellence and outstanding teaching ability has served as abenchmark for achievement in my life.

Mother and my Brother Larry

Praises to my family members who spent hours finding so many of my mistakes in this publication.

Officer Nick Kokot Thanks to Nick for spending time with me on the phone correcting, formatting and getting this project into original print format.

Jeff Rose, BlackHawk Products Group Media - PhotographerJeff took an extraordinary amount of time to get us the shot s we needed to help bring the point across.

In Appreciation

I would like to sincerely thank the following people for the content, concepts and support

provided to make this curriculum possible.

Ken J. GoodPresident and Founder Progressive Combat Solutions LLC

www.nightreaper.comwww.progressivecombat.com

ll doctrine currently used by Progessive Combat Solutions is not "ours"It does not belong to anybodyIt is simply a reflection ofwhat is in the environment, revealed through many years of intense training and actual operations.

Our approach is based on concepts and strategies developed by greater warriors who have trod the earth before our time. It will change overtime, hopefully in a positive manner, as we interact with those in harms way and find more efficient ways of training and operating.

The format in which we reveal that reality is simply our styleone style of many acceptable styles.

This style began to emerge in the mid 1980s with a decommissioned U.S. Navy ship based in San Diego, CA that had no power. Two NavySEALs, David Maynard and Ken J. Good, along with other DOD staff members were charged with preparing fleet sailors to defend their shipagainst a variety of potential threats. The training platform included below the main deck operations, therefore you literally could not see thehand in front of your face.

In others words....IT WAS DARK!!! It made for some incredibly interesting and revealing engagements that initiated a doctrinal developmenttrajectory that continues on through today.

During that time all that was really taught in the mainstream was flashlight/handgun techniques in isolation of the actual tasking required tolocate, identify, and potentially engage hostile threats.

There were no defined doctrinal principles or strategies specifically addressing the reduced light environment. The critical when, where, why, and for how long were not yet codified. Techniques that were taught were generally square-range driven andnot fully tested and exposed to the crucible of quality Force-on-Force training.

Additionally, what was out there, generally focused on individual skills only. Partner and element work was noticeably absent.

As the program matured, Law Enforcement SWAT teams started coming to the ship to train and were immediately challenged by the difficultyof the environment and ferocity of the training as opposition forces were quite capable and familiar with the terrain.

Desiring more, Dave Maynard and Ken Good formed Combative Concepts Inc. that started formalizing, categorizing and organizing drills andtraining regiments that included heavy doses of low-light environment training.

Officers who were exposed to this type of training were inevitably involved in real-world encounters. The exciting news was that these frontline officers started providing extremely positive feedback in terms of the connectivity of the training to their actual confrontations. Theprogram kept growing and refining.

From there, Ken Good became the founding Director of the SureFire Institute. In that capacity low-light doctrine was advanced even further.Instructors were selected based on their operational experience and willingness to break new ground and challenge pre-suppositions. Thisgroup also participated in the product development end of the equation, helping ensure that products matched true operational requirements.

From there, the core instructors from that institution formed other training companies. Mr. Ken Good ultimately formed Progressive ComabtSolutions LLC as well and Night Reaper Systems LLC.

The direct line of these teaching staffs has interacted with Federal, State, County, and City Law Enforcement agencies both here and abroadto forge what we have today.

Progressive Combat Solutions and Night Reaper Systems has continued this legacy of process improvement and it is our hope that we canimpart some of what we have learned and experienced to you in order to put the odds in your favor so you can prevail in this challengingenvironment.

The Origins of this Doctrine

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"What can be done with fewer assumptions is done in vainwith more. That is, in explaining any phenomenon, weshould use no more explanatory concepts than areabsolutely necessary."

Ockham's RazorWilliam of Ockham was an English monk, philosopher andtheologian who provided the scientific method with its keyprinciple 700 years ago.

"Learning which does not advance each day will dailydecrease."Chinese Proverb

Education is the abilty to meet life's situations.G. Hibben, former president of Princeton University

he mission is to facilitate relevant, dynamic, and progressive reduced illumination engagement training. This is not abook, per se, but a guide to be used in conjunction with practical training administered by qualified instructors.

The doctrine set forth in this curriculum is based on sound principles and techniques gleaned from years of operational andtraining experiences. Our full-time and adjunct staff has interacted with teams and individuals from around the globe and hasthe unique opportunity to analyze a myriad of strategies, tactics, principles and techniques. We consider ourselves perpetualstudents and endeavor to remain that way.

The Strategies of Low-Light Engagements curriclum was designed to practically and realistically introduce participants tosome of the mission critical skills needed in low-light environments. Following this course of instruction you will have beenfamiliarized with a reasonable sub-set of the issues associated with low-light engagements.

We are looking for improvement, not perfection. One should constantly strive for advancement in order to increaseprofessionalism in the often dangerous occupation of law enforcement.

In order to consistently prevail under the duress of close quarter confrontations, serious students must see and apply newconcepts, as well as refine older ones and then inculcate them into the sub-conscious mind through rigorous and dedicated

practice.

The success of this particular training session is largely dependent upon how you approach this training. Your mind-set will determine just how beneficial this time will be. The drills, scenarios, and critiques should teach you, butyou need to be listening. Be willing to eliminate unsound practices, mental biases, and egotistical excuses. Enjoy the journeyand, prevail in the fight.

Mission

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Think thou that these magnificent, victoriousLegionnaires became what they are through somearbitrary stroke of fortune?

Nay! They do not sit around congratulating themselvesin the wake of every victory. Nay! They spend every moment refining and improvingtheir craft. Without apology, they pursue excellence.

Each one knows and understands that he alone standsbetween the Empire and oblivion.

Watch them! Indeed, they appear to have been bornwith weapons in their hands!"Unknown Roman Observer

For the great aim of education, is not knowledge but action." Herbert Spencer


"Death makes no conquest of this conqueror, for now he lives in fame though not in life."William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

Tools, Tactics and Training should be viewed as acontiguous whole. Training must reflect the tacticaluse of the tools chosen and carried. For example, pickan officer who spends his entire time in a martial artsdojo learning how to ground grapple in a judo uniform.After a period of time, the officer may believe that heis fully prepared for a fight that ends up on the ground.

Unfortunately this hypothetical officer has nevertrained with all of his operational tools in place.Suddenly a real world engagement occurs andpriorities change to weapons deployment and weaponretention.

Wearing body armor, operational clothing, and a duty-rig can restrict movements, eliminating familiar options. Terrain considerations become extremely important. Multipleopponents are a problem and so on.

Any tools, and more specifically illumination gear, theirplacement on the body, their accessibility and theireffect on non-compliant individuals, all have asignificant impact on strategy, tactics and training.

Excessive use of force, too many men in theenvironment or complicated solutions to problemsdemonstrate the need for better understanding of thenatural law or the need to improve ones confidence inthe application of technique or skill.

Law Enforcement professionals are constantlyscanning the horizon for new tools and tactics toenhance their operational capability.

Through proper training and strategy we strive toincrease in efficiency. Simplicity and efficiencyreduce exposure during tactical operations. Low-light conditions are the conditions in which mostofficer-involved shootings and serious confrontations occur. Yet,until now, little codified and tested doctrine hasbeen put forth to deal with this reality.

We are attempting to bridge this gap throughrelentless analysis, critical thought, and constantfeedback from Military and Law Enforcementpersonnel based on their operational experiences.

Our emphasis is placed on the "Human Operating System and mans interactionin combat. We also address the optimal use of the illumination tools designedto be used in that combat.

It is logical that well-designed tools can allow new tactics to be employed or currenttactics to become more effective.

In order to take maximum advantage of theseimproved tools and tactics, the appropriatetraining must be received to achieve consistentand repeatable results under stressful conditions.

Operating in Low-Light


Critical DataLaw Enforcement Officers Killed or Assaulted Summary

The following data is representative of U.S. trends in Law Enforcement and will fluctuate over time and geographic location.

Weapons Used:94% - Killed with a Firearm67% - Handguns27% - Long guns6% - Edged weapons, bombs & other

Distances: 50.5% - 5 feet or less71% - 10 feet or less83% - 20 feet or less

Shot Placement:48% were killed with head shots (roughly 1/3 of this total were

shot in the back of the head)

Average Engagement Time: 2.5 Seconds

Frequency of Night Training:Approx: 4.6 month interval

Officer Profile:Profile: 93% Male, 10 years of service - Mid career37 years old, 5'10, 200 lbs

Suspect Profile:95% Male, 40% White 40% Black, 20% Other

Primary Factors: Poor tactics Overconfidence Complacency Rushing in without a plan

Time:35.0% - 6pm to Midnight 25.5% - Midnight to 6am (Therefore 60% of the deaths occurred

during the hours of darkness - In some

locations this percentage jumps to 80%)

16.6% - 6am to Noon 22.9% - Noon to 6pm

39% - Lighting conditions were cited as a contributing factor


Many training programs or sessions are primarily technically based and neveraddress the core principles of the matter in question.

Goals / Objectives

"The only use of an obstacle is to be overcome. All that an obstacle does with brave men is, not to frighten them, but to challenge them."Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924), U.S. President

Increase your Probabilities of Prevailing in Low-Light ConditionsNo tactic, technique or piece of equipment can absolutely guarantee your safety in thisprofession. What one can do through proper training is eliminate the gross or negligent errorsthat will definitely cause officers to suffer injuries and/or death.

Eliminating the obvious, larger mistakes becomes the first order of business. From there, onemoves closer to refinement obtained through intelligent, repetitive exposure to all the elementsthat define the environment.

Test Decision Making Under DuressIt is relatively easy to select and make optimal decisions when allowed time and distance fromany given situation.

It is an altogether different matter when exposed to the influences of stress activated by fear ofdeath, serious bodily harm or pain.

In Law Enforcement, many critical decisions are made while under the influence of stress.Therefore, it makes perfect sense to mold your training methodologies to include regular dosesof stress so that one can adapt to the pressures and continue to maintain high levels of function.

Understand Basic Lighting PrinciplesMany officers can easily state a lighting technique, but have much more difficulty in articulatingand correctly applying a lighting principle.

Recognize the Paradigm of using Illumination Tools as a Force MultiplierForce options from Command Presence, all the way to Deadly Force, can be enhanced as theresult of the proper use of light. When subjects have no opportunity to psychologically prepare forpain, options involving pain are generally more effective.


Identify Typical Lighting ConditionsLearn to see the gradients and disparity in various lighting conditions.

Proper MovementPositive or Negative movement? Videotape analysis will reveal the natureand effectiveness of one's movement while under duress.

Mind-SetEGO Control: Learning to diagnose errors and accept the fact that we haveplenty to learn are the first steps to performance improvement.

Clear understanding of the nature of conflict using the OODA Cycle as amodel will develop an awareness level that will help you consistentlydefeat threats.

Proper Tool Selection and ApplicationEquipment is changing and improving with ever-wider selectionpossibilities.

Truly understanding why you need a particular category of equipment willhelp you select the optimal tool for the requirements of your particularmission.

Principle: a fundamental truth, law, doctrine, ormotivational force, upon which all othersare based

Technique:the method or procedure or way of using basic skills

Force: a person, thing, or group having a certaininfluence, power, control or ability topersuade

Goals / Objectives


Why Should I use Illumination Tools?

Bright light is injurious to those who see nothing.Aurelius Clemens Prudentius (c. 348-405), Roman poet

Studies of Law Enforcement shootings clearly indicate that a high percentage of allthese shootings take place during nighttime hours. In fact, more than two out of threefatal officer shootings occur during the hours of darkness or in locations where thelight is diminished.

Outside, you may have only the light of the stars or moon, or a street lamp a block

away. When the light dims the problems can begin.

These problems generally include: Navigation - Threat Location

Threat Identification - Threat Engagement


The following data is taken from Adverse Light Orientation and FiringPresented at the Fourteenth ASLET International Training SeminarOrlando, FL - February 12-16, 2001Instructor: Senior Special Agent Marshall E. Schmitt

Kansas Bureau of Investigation, Retired

The ability to see under adverse lighting conditions varies betweenindividuals. Age plays a big factor. The ability to see under reducedillumination, to see past oncoming glare, and to adapt from light to darkquickly, all peak during the teenage years. Other factors affecting ourability to see include: smoking, alcohol, drugs and medications.

The retina is the back lining of the eye where the image we see isconverted from light into nerve impulses, which are transmitted to thebrain. Rhodopsin is a light sensitive chemical, deep purple in color, in theretina. When struck by light it is most immediately bleached (opsin) andemits a minor electrical charge or nerve impulse which is transmitted tothe brain. Vitamin A is the main substance responsible for unbleaching theopsin back to rhodopsin.

The visual purple (and to a lesser extent lodopsin) is constantly beingbleached and unbleached. Vision remains a steady flow except whenexposed to an extremely bright source of light; even briefly, a part of theretina will become over bleached. This may require several seconds oreven minutes before vitamin A can restore visual purple. During this time,a purplish ball or blind spot is seen where the retina was overexposed.

Two different receptors called rods and cones make up the retina. Thereare approximately 125 million rods and 7 million cones. Cones requiremore light to function and are responsible for color vision and for finedetails that we see. Rods, on the other hand, don't perceive color, nor dothey give fine detail. They do function better in dim illumination anddetect motion and are sensitive to contrast. Night vision is better after aslow progression into darkness.

The central part of the retina contains almost 100% cones while theperiphery is almost 100% rods. Thus, in daylight we are able to detectcolor and see fine detail because we are using mainly cones. Conversely,in dim light the rods take over and we loose the ability to see fine detailand color. Rhodopsin responds poorly to red; therefore, red is the firstcolor we loose the ability to identify.

Yellow-green, on the other hand, is one of the last. The pupil regulates theamount of light that reaches the retina. It adjusts rapidly andautomatically to changing light conditions. It requires only a fraction of asecond for the initial change and obtains maximum size change in about asecond.

Although human vision is capable of very keen visual acuity, standard20/20 vision is only achievable under relatively high levels of illumination.As illumination diminishes, or the subject is viewed a small degree offfrom center, vision decreases dramatically.

Let There Be Light - Gen. 1:2

Vision tests are conducted under moderate to high photopic (brightdaylight) conditions. Central vision, which is 20/20 in photopic conditions,drops to less than the criteria for legal blindness immediately upon leavingthe illumination and entering starlit conditions. Starlit illumination isdefined as night sky with less than half moon and no direct artificiallighting. Starlit is referred to as scotopic by vision experts.

Visual disadvantage is greatest immediately after leaving a well-illuminated area and entering scotopic conditions. During the first twominutes of scotopic illumination, vision is reduced from 20/20 to 20/800.This is 4 times the impairment required to constitute blindness underphotopic conditions. Eyesight of 20/800 is less than 5% of the visualefficiency present in daylight illumination.

Under scotopic conditions, central vision improves over time. After 12minutes of dark adaptation, 20/300 or 15% visual efficiency is obtained.After 30 minutes of dark scotopic adaptation, the best obtainable vision is20/180.

This level is definitely impaired, and is only slightly better than legally blind.A moonlit night sky or its equivalent is termed mesopic illumination. Initialcentral vision in mesopic illumination is 20/400 or 10% of the visualefficiency present in photopic conditions which is the equivalent of twicethe handicap necessary to constitute legal blindness.

In addition to darkness obscuring vision, it decreases as the image falls anywhere other than in the fovea (highest concentrationof the cone nerve cells) of the retina. While light that falls on the fovea iscapable of generating 20/20 vision, under photopic conditions, only a mere5 degrees from the center, it has a neurological limit of 20/70.

The further from the fovea, the worse it gets. Peripheral vision twentydegrees away from the fovea results in 20/200 visual acuity.

The visual system is neurologically wired for a small area of clear visionsurrounded by concentric circles of increasing blurred vision. The brainintegrates many complex processes, which fill in ambiguity created by poorperipheral visual acuity. The same processes come into effect as dimillumination results in ambiguous image formation. The brain calls uponmemory, selective suppression and enhancement in forming visualperception. Ultimately, it is the brain and not the eyes, which gives thevisual perception. Visual perceptions that officers receive are influencedheavily by their training and survival instincts combined with specificfactors of the immediate situation. It is important to remember that whatwe see is determined by the existing light combined with the perceivedexpectations of the brain. In a study by Geller and Scoot, of officer-involved shootings nationwide, 25% involved unarmed suspects.


Why use Light?

Navigate

He that is strucken blind cannot forget, the precious treasure of his eyesight lost. William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

If you have taken a debilitating fall in a hostile environment, it could spell disaster.


NavigationDefinition: To walk or make one's way on or through.

In low-light environments, the first priority is to stay upright and balanced, avoiding trip hazards that canseriously injure or kill. Your second priority is to select the optimum route through danger areas whilemoving ever closer to the target area, as you search for ellusive, mobile threats.

As you are navigating/hunting, you are attempting to minimize noise created from surfaces below yourfeet as well as noise generated from objects and materials you may brush up against.

In order to stay upright, travel the best route and minimize noise, you may need to use an illuminationtool. Light levels for these purposes should not be excessive. They can and should be extremely low.

Imagine yourself in a darkened warehouse with a partner and you have moved up twenty feet ahead ofyour partner. He loses contact with you and decides to find you by flaming on with the full-power of aduty flashlight. As he is randomly searching, the light beam passes over your back and head just as youare crossing a hallway. At this point you are silhouetted and a prime target for any committed, armedthreat in the area....Not the place you want to be. You also do not want to be the officer that illuminatesyour partner or your own position negligently.


Why use Light?

Locate and Identify

Knowledge is more than equivalent to force.Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)

Take the time to Identify AbsolutelyWho is Who and What is What!

Under duress, a fast moving silhouette in the dark can easily draw your fire. This silhouette may be a partner or

an innocent person.


Low-Light OrientationIn the dark, you often receive only snap shots of information coming in staccato-like fashion.

Being in a reduced light environment breedstarget fixation.

The effects of target fixation include a serious debilitation of your visual sense resultingin the loss of overall situational awareness.

You cannot fight what you cannot see, nor can

your opponent

Many fights and certainly the modern battlefield have demonstrated this principle in action. A key to defeating opponentsis finding them while simultaneously cloaking, disguising andconfusing your location.

This is often a difficult balancing act. Applying proper lighting principles discussed later will assist you in this tasking.

DO NOT shoot at muzzle flash or silhouettes onlyUnless you are absolutely certain that this is asuspect bent on injuring/killing you or otherinnocents, don't shoot.

Why? In a fluid Law Enforcement lethal forceencounter, friendly forces may now occupy alocation that moments earlier had a shootingthreat. The threat may have simply moved orwas subdued by your partner or other teammembers.

You should not engage what you don't knowTarget identification is absolutely paramount in anyconflict. As previously mentioned, U.S. SpecialForces troops relied heavily on white light toidentify forces while operating in Afghanistan.Their night vision devices (NVDs) alone did notprovide clear enough resolution to sufficientlydetermine who was who. Friendly and enemyforces looked, dressed, traveled and armedthemselves like each other.

These same troops were also tasked withsearching large networks of caves.

Battle-hardened enemy troops, booby-traps andfriendly-fire issues along with other environmentalhazards were in the forefront. Liberal use of whitelight proved most beneficial.

Bottom line: The pressure of time, the activation of your powerful sympatheticnervous system and the compelling desire toprevail can easily lead to a misidentification of anindividual.

This is not a mistake any of us would like to make.


Why use Light?

Control

Win the light fight first and you will probably win the gunfight.Ken J. Good

Where should the hot spot of the beam be placed?Most officers are taught to watch a suspect's hands and this is certainly sound doctrine. Therefore many place the hot spot of the beam directly in the chest or on the suspects hands. This is notalways the optimal position for the light. When appropriate, consider aiming the light beam directly into thesuspects eyes.

A brilliant light in the eyes significantly alters a suspects ability to access yourmovements or mount a successful counter attack while simultaneously allowing you tostill see the hands.

Directing the hot spot into the threats eyes reduces the threats total amount of usefulvisual information. The threat may avert his or her eyes, raise the hands to block the

light, close the eyes or choose to stare at a brilliant white light. In any case, this becomes an advantage to youas long as all other threats and angles are accounted for. You have temporarily blinded the threat.

In these moments of time, understand andexploit timing and windows of opportunity,closing the gap and acting accordingly. This canbe likened to the use of your patrol vehicle spotlights during a nighttime vehicle stop. Creating awhite wall of light will allow you to establishthe timing, the rhythm, the distance, and theangles of the engagement.

This Blinding Front Light is also necessary toreduce the harmful effects of backlightingcreated by traffic.

This concept also holds true when using your handheld and weapon-mounted illumination systems.

During arrest and control, directing a bright light into the suspects eyes just prior to hands-on contact willtemporarily remove the suspects visual horizon and tend to disorient and unbalance. Bright light enhances theemployment of less-lethal options. Threats have no reference or solid time frame from which to prepare adefense.


Use Light to Control and Direct the Suspects Movements and Restrict the Suspects Visual Data


Why use Light?

Communication Tool

The time has come, the Walrus said, To talk of many things.Lewis Carroll (1832-1898)

Hes over there!!!

This statement clearly indicates a possible threat, butoffers no immediate beneficial information to your partner or team members as to specificlocation, in terms of distance, elevation and direction.

Learning to use your handheld light as a pointer to bring all necessary friendly forces to bear on athreat, immediately clarifies situations without thedisruptive and confusing cross talk that easily manifestsitself in reduced light environments.

It turns out that even in the middle of a multiple officer search, one candirect other officers to the threat location by clearly articulating the following:

Lights Out! On my Light!Give a Location using the Clock System

Sounds simple, but it is not easy to do under duress. When you learn to uselight properly as a communication tool, team efficiency and survivability will

dramatically increase.

The following statement might be better with a single partner, in a known location:

On my light, YOUR 11 oclock, 10 meters, behind the silver truck, hes lying down

The following statement might be better in a team situation orwhen you do not know exactly where your partner is:On my blinking light, on MY 7 oclock, 10 meters,

behind the silver truck, hes lying down


Communication is a Powerful Weapon to Wield in the Environment

A few things must occur to have good tactical communication:

The sender must formulate a clear, concise, and accurate message The message must be sent in an intelligible manner The recipient of the message must be actually capable of receiving it The recipient must understand the message as originally compiled The recipient must provide a feedback message confirming receipt The original sender receives the feedback

There are plenty of reasons why an officer should notscream (a fear-based response to stimulus).Screaming violates a basic principle of endeavoring toremain relatively calm while involved in a deadly forcesituation.

First, and foremost, you lose breath control, breathbeing the regulator and governor of the entire humanoperating system.

The Importance of maintaining Breath Control Cannot be Overstated.

Screaming makes it extremely difficult and slow to move through the communication cycle and enter the OODACycle. Screaming is a manifestation of fear; fear is the enemy.

Stealth is an important concept, but lack of clear, open communication could have negativeconsequences in quite a few situations. It is a balancing act that you must be ever mindful of. www.nightreaper.com

www.progressivecombat.com

Having the tools, understanding low-light tactics, and havingpractical knowledge of the techniques is fantastic and can neverbe viewed as a disadvantage in and of itself.

The right equipment is necessary and I do not want to undermineits importance. But the harsh reality is that many operators leantoo hard on equipment and untested head knowledge toaccomplish their mission.

Again, remember Hick's Law, the more possibilities you can choosefrom, the slower you will be in making the correct decision.

Applying what you know at the right time and the right place iswhere the rubber meets the road.

There are some basic mistakes that will place you and/or yourpartner/teammates in harms way.

We must eliminate those larger gross errors before refinement oftechnique and tactics really come into play.

Improper Application of Illumination

Know what you are doing, then master it.Ed McGivern - Pistol Shooter Extraordinaire www.nightreaper.com


The first steps to drastically improving your percentages are:1. Reduce Telegraphing2. Be acutely aware of being in or creating a Backlit Condition for yourself and /or others around you3. Avoid Self-blinding yourself or others



TelegraphingWar is a matter of Deception.

Sun Tzu - Art of War

"Victory is achieved in the way of conflict by ascertaining the rhythm of each opponent, by attacking with arhythm not anticipated by the opponent, and by the use of knowledge of the rhythm of the abstract."

Myamoto Musashi - Japanese Swordsman www.nightreaper.comwww.progressivecombat.com

Once there is sufficient reason to project light, the obvious downside is that hostile threats will be alerted to thisemission and if armed and committed, they will fire directly into the source of light. Therefore it is your

responsibility to distort your opponent's perception of what is actually happening. We call it visual distortion.

This is accomplished by manipulating the following variables:

Displacements - Vertical, Horizontal, and DistanceAngle of the BeamRhythm and Duration

Sniper analogy: - Three on a Match

It has been said, the third person on a match was the most likely to get hit by a sniper bullet on the battlefield.Why is this so? The sniper who is looking over the terrain is viewing a vast area. First strike and subsequent puffof the cigarette gets the sniper's attention and allows him to turret his weapon into the general location. Secondpuff by the second man allows for further angle discrimination through the optic, safety off, finger poised on thetrigger.

Now that the rhythm and distances have been established, it only takes an incremental adjustment by the sniperand his weapon to lock on the third person attempting to light his cigarette, and bang it's over.

The same holds true for your lighting tools. Illumination from any point in the environment is like the first strike ofthe match. The second pulse sets the pattern, and if you pulse again using the same interval of time and space,expect incoming fire precisely in the area you are located.

Do not pulse or move in an easily defined rhythm unless you are trying to attract specific attention to yourself.

When searching, attempt to paint a picture to your opponent that is essentially an optical illusion. Constantlyand randomly change the location (vertically and horizontally) of your flashlight when you do not know where thethreat lies. Changing the angle of the beam along the floor, on the ceiling, down hallways and up stairs, will helpmask your exact distance from any given location.

With practice, an officer can successfully deceive threats into believing that they are in one position when in factthey are occupying a completely different space.

One of the core principles of fighting is the ability to disguise or hide your movements and true intentions fromyour opponents.

Deception in Your Positioning and Movements



Backlighting

Alas! how easily things go wrong!George Macdonald (1824-1905)

An armed gunman lying in wait might be tracking you perfectly as he

makes out the clear outline of a human silhouette.


Remaining in a backlit situation or creating one for other friendly forces is one ofthe most common mistakes associated with operating in diminished lightenvironments.

You name the group or the background from which they came, backlighting can devour the best of the best.

Once in this condition opponents have exceptional capabilities to locate anddefeat you. Therefore it is imperative that you adjust the light levels or movecompletely out of the situation as swiftly as possible.

Constant, vigilant awareness of this potential killer is the starting point.

Backlighting can occur by failing to close a door behind you and continuing to allowany number of ambient light sources to flood in behind you. It can be created fromthe headlights of passing vehicles, perimeter security lighting, motion activatedlights, accidentally activating your flashlight (sometimes in its carrier) or bygenerally employing your handheld or weapon mounted lights incorrectly.

Why do operators unwittingly find themselves in this situation so often? Thedifficulty lies in detecting it.

1. As a predator, your eyes are set in the front of your skull. Predators typicallyare not that concerned with what is happening behind them as they are doing thestalking.

2. You have a strong tendency to believe that everything is fine in terms of stealthwhen you see nothing but low-light conditions in front of you. When you see a darkforeground while you are engaged in a search, you have a deep instinctual desire tostay dark and hidden from view.

In fact you may not be hidden at all.

Instead of picking your way through the dark, you may need to be distributingBlinding Front Light to reduce the powerful and negative consequences ofbacklighting.

Big Mistake!!!


The ease with which an officer can temporarily degrade his/her night vision or that of apartner/teammeber(s) is increased as illumination tools emit with greater and greater intensity.

Light colored walls, mirrors and other reflective surfaces present challenges. Certain flashlighttechniques create this self-blinding effect if utilized at the wrong time during movement.


Self-Blinding

None so blind as those that will not see.Matthew Henry (1662-1714)

Todays Illumination Tools Emit more Light with Greater Intensity Levels than Previous Designs


Unlocking the Principles of Lighting

Important principles may, and must, be inflexible.Abraham Lincoln (18091865), U.S. President. Last public address, Apr. 11, 1865

Key Concept: Continuity of Principle ApplicationInterlocking blocks of Principle that apply acrossthe spectrum of operating in Low-Light Environments.


Reminder:This curriculum will expose you to more than onetechnique in terms of how to bio-mechanicallydeplur illumination tools. But this is simply notenough.

As stated earlier, many officers can easily state alighting technique, but have much more difficultyin articulating and correctly applying a lightingprinciple.

You must evaluate your principles at the corelevel in order to reduce and eliminate internalmental conflict and friction.

You need both technique and principleunderstanding to be most effective.

You should ask yourself the following questions:

Consider the practice of martial arts. Many modern and classical systems have codified thebody of knowledge contained in their art by creating alist of techniques. In many cases these systems alsohave many forms of kata or what I would call dance.These are useful for passing on many elements thatdefine the art itself.

But there is a danger in being able to articulate, and perform the techniques and katas only.You have fooled yourself (and nobody else) thatsomehow you now know when, where, and in whatcircumstance this or that technique should beemployed.

Having a techniques and kata only perspective will end up restraining you from further development if left unchecked.

You can find yourself in the situation where techniqueis all you see. Your horizon has been self-limited. Itturns out that understanding the principle of a matteris far more useful and higher on the importance scale.

If you do not understand the fundamental principles oflighting in a combative situation, you will be guessingas to when, where, or for how long to use any giventechnique.

On the other hand, if you only know one technique, you will also not be able to leverage the principles on your own behalf. Imagineonly being allowed to have one type of punch to throwand being thrust into the ring with a formidableopponent. Your future would not be promising!

Do the principles I have adopted work at all ranges of combat?

Have they been tested?

Are they repeatable and useful?

Techniques need to be Built on the Solid Foundation of Principle Understanding

Principle:

a fundamental truth, law, doctrine, ormotivational force, upon which all othersare based

Technique:

the method or procedure or way of using basic skills


Read the LightPrinciple #1

The Prime DirectiveTo successfully negotiate terrain with a view to exploit all known strategies and tactics FIRST and FOREMOST, Read the Lighting Conditions. Establish a clear and accurate perception of your surrounding environment.It does not make any sense to rush into any low-light situation withoutweighing out routing and pacing options. Its akin to climbing a difficult mountain by haphazardly glancing at the terrain and starting to run upward.You may or may not survive the event! Getting ahead of yourself in this regard invites an unpredictable and potentially catastrophic result.

Darkness in-and-of itself breeds mental/physical tension.If you are rushing, you can easily mistake any sudden movement as threatening and you end up over-reacting. The closer that movement is to you,the more likely you will engage whether its required of not. Therefore, learn to exhibit and express an internal calm, a cultivated patience when operating in the dark. Proper routing sets this up.

The more you study, consider and apply the implications of Observation/Perception, the more you will realize that observation is THE startinggate that must be exited cleanly as confrontations materialize.

Before you or your partner/team decide to use stealth, employ slow or fastmovements, emit with white light or infrared, stay completely dark, deploy this or that tool/weapon, understand your actual lighting condition.

Learning to differentiate the nuances of these conditions separates the professional

from the amateur. Actively seeking to exploit one condition over another should takeprecedence.

In every affair consider what precedes and what follows, and then undertake it.Epictetus (A.D. c. 50-c. 138) That Everything is to be undertaken with Circumspection. www.nightreaper.com


All lighting conditions can be placed in the following basic

categories: (There are infinite gradients and variations,butthese are the reference points)

BrightHigh Noon, well lit area, high level of detail, depth perception excellent, target ID excellent.

MediumEarly morning or late evening, enough light to distinguish shapes, texture and color of objects with noticeable shadow areas, target ID impaired.

LowFull Moon, Stars, minimal ambient, weak artificial sources such as distant street light, emission of light from another room, shapes only, distance judgment and target ID is severely impaired.

No-LightNot normally encountered, but typically exists in underground structures, sealed warehouses, target ID non-existent without illumination.

Unequal Lighting ConditionsBacklighting, blinding front light, inadequate illumination from flashlight.

Equal with my Opponent(s)This is often overlooked. All participants in the engagement find themselves in the samelighting condition. Regardless of the lightingcondition you find yourself in, attempt to get toa better one than your opponent. Create or alteryour conditions as feasible.

Generally Speaking, as the Light Level Diminishes, a Greater Variance of Lighting Subtlety will Appear


Operate from the Lowest Level of LightPrinciple #2

As water seeks its own level, move and operate from the lowest level of light whenever possible.

After you Read the Light and have made an assessment of the varied conditions, generally youshould place yourself or partner/team into the lowest level of light and operate or further assessfrom that point in space.

All Dark Holes have Guns!

This saying migrated to us from years of operating below deck of a darkened ship in a rigorousForce-on-Force program designed to address terrorist threats facing the United States Navy.

One of the instructors in this program, Dave Maynard, coined this phrase as a way to succinctlydescribe what your mind should be thinking as you evaluate the darkened, three-dimensional space.

This pithy saying was often a reminder of the pain experienced when neglecting or passing by darkareas during low-light force-on-force drilling. It is a mistake to assume these areas are free ofthreats just because you cannot see into them. Use your illumination tool to confirm/deny what isactuall happening in these spaces. These dark holes exist during daylight hours; so do not leave yourflashlight in your vehicle when called to search an area.

Before you move into the lowest level of light, you need to flush out any potential threats that mayhave already taken up residence!

It is completely natural and intuitive for predators to operate from the cover of darkness, so moveand act accordingly.

Let your plans be dark and as impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.Sun Tzu - The Art of War www.nightreaper.com


On the other hand, once you occupy the darkest space, potential threats will now have to come and takeit back from you. This means one of two things. One, they wander unwittingly from a backlit conditioninto your space, or two, they will reluctantly use some type of illumination tool to evaluate the space.

Either way, this will give you the indicators that you need to take your next action.

The study of battle throughout history clearly shows, that forces that are similarly armed win or losebased on their commanders understanding of the terrain, lighting conditions and weather. It is thecorrect leveraging of these additional tools that spelled the difference between victory or defeat.

Your terrain may not be a classic battlefield, but the light levels in the same room can be differentenough to have a significant impact on any given engagement.

Open doors, energized televisions, lights, and vehicle traffic can all paint a lighting picture.

Look to Constantly Paint your Opponents in a Bad Light


See from the Opposite PerspectivePrinciple #3

If you will observe, it doesnt take A man of giant mould to make A giant shadow on the wall.John Townsend Trowbridge (1827)

You cannot fully appreciate your situation until you have the ability to view yourself as any potential threat sees you.


While performing Law Enforcement duties in alow-light environment, you often do not have thisluxury of time. Yet, you still must learn to seeyourself as a threat (counter sniper) would.

You need to know what you look like from thethreats point of view.

You need to know when you are clearly seen,silhouetted, partially obscured, or completelyinvisible. You need to know when to move quicklyor not move at all.

This vision will determine route selection,timing, and communication methods.

The ability to see yourself as any potentialopponent sees you will allow you to makeintelligent and confident decisions that will leadto decisive actions culminating in theneutralization of threats.

Why is this so? First of all, this threat has weaponry that canperform at the same or higher level than yourdeployment capability. But more importantly, thisenemy sniper views or sees the world as you do.His training may be similar or even better. Hiscommitment is high.

He knows you are looking for an excellent final-firing position and is interpreting the terrain fromthat perspective. He knows what would beoptimal, marginal, and unacceptable.

He is attempting to think like and act like you are.He is waiting for a mistake to appear so he canexploit the opportunity. You do not get a secondchance!

In many ways he is acting like a criminalprofiler,totally immersing himself into your thoughts,strategies, techniques,and game plan.

The sniper game can be slow and methodical, adrawn out chess game with high stakes.

For a minute, imagine yourself as a military sniper on the battlefield... One of your most dangerous adversaries in this status is your counterpart, an enemy sniper.


Light and Move

The essence of this principle is to Light from one position, turn your Light OFF, then Move intelligently to another position,

ready to engage and move again if required.

This concept can be best described as trying to create the view of fireflies in motion. Theoutside observer never really knows where or when the next flash will appear.

The true number of "fireflies" is unknown. This tends to keep a threat(s) disoriented andmakes it difficult for them to properly evaluate the situation or develop a solid, easy toimplement firing solution.

Adversaries frequently engage and continually maintain a visual lock on the location that yourlight was last energized. Take advantage of this phenomenon. You can easily flank a subjectonce you have gained a practical understanding of this idea.

The use of rapid, randomly fluctuating pulses of light while searching is a close cousin to"Light and Move". The use of strobing light is another extension of this concept and shouldbe explored.

When the "Light and Move" principle is used during a search (interior or exterior), especiallywith multiple officers, it creates a chaotic and difficult to read picture to any threats caughton the wrong end of this technique.

Using light correctly in this manner during a gun fight is an decisive advantage. You aremaking yourself a more difficult target while simultaneously making the opponent an easiertarget.

Principle #4

Not by strength, but by guile.British Special Boat Service (SBS) www.nightreaper.com


The Art and Science of Light Application

How much light should I use? How long should I keep it on for any given situation?

These questions encapsulate the art and science of proper application of light. The answers are crucial to success and often incite controversy among trainers and tacticians.

It turns out that there is not a black and white answer (no pun intended!). It is theproverbial shade of grey. Initially, every operator should first apply the first 3 principles:

- read the light- operate from the lowest level of light- see from the opposite perspective

Then one can intuitively decide what should be done in terms of active emission.

Always leaving the light OFF or always leaving the light ON are the extreme ends of thespectrum of possibilities. It is difficult to find a reduced light environment where lightOFF or light ON always holds true 100% of the time.

Light and Move and Power with Light are Opposite Sides of the Coin


Principle #5

Power with Light

Death waits in the dark.

U.S. Army Task Force 160 Night Stalkerswww.nightreaper.com


From: Clearly viewing the world without interruption and without error.

To: Seeing nothing but brilliant white light(s) and no clearcomprehension of force deployment.

It means placing the hot spot, the most intense part of thelight beam directly into the suspects eyes. -

You are flooding the correct space with photons. Whensupporting this principle, you are creating a te mporary whitewall of light that allows you a greater variety of deploymentoptions.

Sounds easy enough to do, but under the duress of conflict the untrained will neglect to take advantage of this option. The hot spot will inevitably be placed on the lower part of the chest and waist, because officers have beencorrectly taught to observe and focus on the threats hands.

The downside, is that oftentimes the threat can still see you, your partners, aswell as your next action. He is weighing out potential options instead ofcapitulating. It turns out, that with a bit of training and a good light, you willquickly understand the benefits of placing the light directly into the threats eyes.

The good news: If you have the appropriate lighting tool, you will still have a clearview of those all-important hands within the remaining corona of the light beam.Powering with Light is a fantastic way to close the distance gap, virtually unseen,when involved in a hands-on arrest and control encounter.

Using this principle can be highly effective even during daylight hours if you have aprofessional grade lighting tool.

Remember: All Dark Holes have Guns! Again, this saying came about in an effort to impress upon students protectingtheir ships from a variety of threats, that every single dark hole (a myriad of themon a Naval ship) must be dealt with exactly as if it had a threat with a weaponready to fire. When you see a dark hole, ferret out any potential threats by eliminating the dark hole and the concealmentit offers by Powering with Light.

Once you have locked down a threats location and other potential threat areas are identified and accounted for, then youshould move toward the Power with Light end of the spectrum. You are now forcing threats to stay put. You areeliminating their options.

When you have large numbers of officers in confined spaces, generally tend toward Power with Light punctuated orbroken up with the strobing effect of Light and Move. When you have not isolated your threats, you should probablyoperate closer to the Light and Move side of the equation. It is a balancing act only you can decide how to choreograph.

Power with Light - Altering the Threats Perspective Radically


Disorient Threats by Oscillation and/or Strobing Light

One of the most stressful and disorienting things you can do to a human being is subject him to Flashing Lights.

Principle #6

...dazzled by the pomp of human uncertainty; I wonder if people can stand such uncertainty, this shining flash of death.

Simone Schwarz-Bart (b. 1938), Guadeloupean author

Strobe Lights

A certain percentage of the population can experience extreme reactions to strobing light; be prepared for

severe disorientation and even seizures in some individuals.

Some Background:

Contrary to popular belief, only a small percentage of people with epilepsy are especially sensitive to

flickering light patterns, such as sunlight, strobe lights or computer screen flicker. This condition is known

as photosensitive epilepsy. A flickering fluorescent light, the flicker of sunlight while driving past standing

trees or on water and other reflective surfaces, certain video games, or flashing strobe lights can trigger

seizures in photosensitive people.

SOURCE: Epilepsy Foundation, 4351 Garden City Drive, Landover, MD 20785-7223

www.epilepsyfoundation.org

Given 2.5 million Americans have some form of epilepsy

- 5% of epileptics are subject to the phenomena of Photosensitive epilepsy (125,000)

- Most of these 125K fall into the age range of 8-20 years,,most of these are female

- The phenomenon is strobe rate specific, color frequency specific, as well as field of view specific

and other factors play into it.

- Most LED Flashlights with a this mode are strobing at a rate below the optimal range of 15-20 for this

phenomena, although other sources indicate lower rates can trigger this response - this further reduces the

probability of an event. The probability of it happening is much higher from the same subject watching T.V. or

playing video games. Natural light sources are just as likely to trigger seizures in a photosensitive individual

as artificial ones. For example, sunlight shining off water or through the leaves of trees, or rapidly flickering

as a person travels past railings, can trigger seizures. To date, The author is not aware of any such

occurance as the result of using a strobing LED flashlight in an areest and control situation.


OscillationClose Range Applications - Especially useful during a hands-on takedownExperiment with rapidly moving the light across the eyes when approaching a suspect for a takedown during arrest andcontrol. Note, we are not referring to on-off-on-off, we are referring to white light that comes from a loosely held flashlightthat was vigorously shaken. The hot spot of the light should travel horizontally across the subjects pupils. From therecipients point of reference, it will appear to be an electronic strobe. When the light is used in this manner, it is extremelydisorienting and can bring rapid compliance. Remember this is a close range application and is not effective past room distance ranges.

StrobingClose Range or at Longer DistancesWith the advent of strobe-mode handheld flashlights, officers can now have a true electronic strobe capability in a small,handheld or weapons-mounted package.

The Effects of Rapid Oscillating/Strobing Light on Subjects

This powerful capability represents a whole new range of options for the officer operating against dark-adapted threats. The ability andadvantage of disorienting opponents at greater distances will become self-evident with training.

Experiment with creating a light show of pulsing, moving, constantly changing angles of emissions when approaching danger areas. Thistype of application makes your exact distance, height and approach speed extremely difficult for the opponent to read.

At close range, simply put, when subjects are dark-adapted, the effect is overwhelming. More often than not, eyes close immediately, headsturn, hands come up, and balance is disrupted. We affectionately call it a "Kodak Moment".

Your eyes store images for 1/25 of a second. They also have a complex, built in light level adjustment system (light-dark & dark-lightadaptation) that essentially functions in an analog manner. Both have different reaction times and it varies from person to person.Rhodopsin (visual purple) is the substance in the rods responsible for light sensitivity. When subjected to a strobing light, your eye/brainimage generation capability is seriously degraded. You will have an extremely difficult time formulating an accurate picture of reality.Entertainment folks and those who create haunted houses have been using this phenomenon for years to alter your perception of what isactually happening.

Sports trainers use strobe lights to help certain athletes gain proficiency by allowing them to see only a limited amount of information, yetforce them to act in spite of the diminished sensory input.

Strobing light will alter the subjects' spatial orientation and depth perception. Strobing light can cause loss of peripheral vision and createauditory exclusion. The overall effect can be anywhere from mildly irritating to very dramatic. It is much like any less-lethal option. You'reattempting to keep things down to a lower level of force but there are no guarantees.

During building searches, officers deploying this strobing tool properly, in an intermittent, constant angle and duration change manner, givethemselves numerous advantages not possible previously. Note the effect of the strobe light from the officers point of view is minimal, inthe sense that he can still see the entire picture quite well and engage threats if required. The idea that the officer, with strobe in hand,will be confused and disoriented is unfounded, based on practical experience.

This type of deceptive movement is part of the larger strategy of "Light and Move" when attempting to locate threats. "Light and Move" canbe compared to jabbing in a boxing match. You are not committing too much until you have successfully ranged/located your opponent.Once this has been accomplished, you can transition to the next phase of your low-light strategy which is "Power with Light". After youhave locked down observation angles, limited your opponents movement and retaliatory options, you can now safely emit from one or morelocations with constant, hopefully overwhelming, levels of light. www.nightreaper.com


Align Three Things

Principle #7

Eyes, Weapon, and Light

When searching for threats, endeavor to align your

weapon with your vision and then ensure that the

hot spot of your illumination tool is where you

want it to be. It is time to hunt, not the time to

cower, recoil or shy away.

Regardless of the flashlight technique you choose

to use, endeavor to maintain the

alignment of your eyes, weapon (sights) and your

light as much as the situation allows.

You should not be staring at your sights while

searching but they should be in battery, hinged

just below the final sight lane, ready to be

reattached to your vision if you determine that you

need to engage with your weapon.

Smaller movements are more efficient.

Years of Force-on-Force training have shown that

this is not as easy as it sounds when an individual

is placed under the duress of simulated combat.

MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, one or more of these

critical weapon system components is completely

out of alignment during movement or during the

actual engagement.

It is better to live one day as a lion than a hundred years as a sheep. Italian proverb www.nightreaper.com


Victory goes to the One who Dominates by Minimizing his Own Gaps and Exploiting his Opponents Openings, Hesitations and Mistakes

An unofficial estimate of first-time participants in Force-on-Force Training is that alignment is occurring approximately10% of the time, a number much lower than you mightinitially expect. The key here is to learn to flip thispercentage around. Maintain alignment 90% of the time andyou will be much more efficient in your movements and yourability to deal with emergent threats will be greatlyincreased.

Under the cover of darkness, videotape analysis revealsweapons dangling and pointing in non-specific and oftenunsafe directions.

Heads peek around corners minus weapon and/or light.Flashlight and weapon appear but no vision to make anassessment of what is really happening. It turns out thereare more ways to move wrong than right.

In any type of conflict, the superior combatant has trainedhimself to eliminate gaps in time and space whenever andwherever possible.

When the opponent leaves a gap, the advanced combatantwill immediately close and finish. This holds most true inclose quarter, reduced illumination gunfights. Electronstravel at the speed of light, and bullets, for all practicalpurposes arrive almost instantaneously.

Therefore, you cannot leave large windows of opportunity bywandering around in the environment without all your toolspoised and positioned to move immediately.

A proficient low-light operator will keep eyes, weapon, andlight aligned most of the time, unless specifically directingthe light or weaponin alternate directions for a specificpurpose.


There is no second place in a gunfight.

- Bill Jordan US Border Patrol

Carry More than One LightPrinciple #8

Stit happens.....Mr. Murphy

In the military there is a well-known saying,

Two is one, one is none.

This familiar adage applies to any man-made tool that one is depending on for life.


The definition of extreme skiing:

If you fall.....you die!

In a low-light conflict if your illumination toolmalfunctions, if it gets damaged, or if it becomesunretrievable, your life may be over.

Redundancy is built into modern fighter jets,commercial airliners, and a myriad of other safetydevices. All but the most insane rock climbers usemore than one piece of pro (protection) to arresttheir potential fall during ascent up radically pitchedrock faces.

Consider the following: You and another officer are called out to search a commercial office building during the day. You have arrived separately.

You remember to bring your flashlights (primary and backup). Your partner does not thinkadditional illumination is necessary as it is a bright,clear day.

Consider: If your Partner Forgot their Flashlight, would You Give up Yours?

As you penetrate the structure, and decide tomove downstairs, you find yourself in a reducedlight situation. Since you have a backup light, youwillingly pitch that flashlight to your partner andmove on.

Flashlights, regardless of the manufacturer, willfail. Batteries will fail and drain. Flashlights canget hit with projectiles; they can be dropped in themiddle of a search and become irretrievable and/ordamaged.

Hopefully, by the time you finish this block oftraining you will see the importance and value of agood illumination tool as it applies to the dangersfound in the Law Enforcement profession.

Choose your equipment wisely.


Boyds / OODA Cycle (Loops)

All Confrontations are a Competition for Time and Space. They Play Out in Understandable Sequences

Experienced Fighters can Predict the Opponents intentions and capitalize on thier next probable Movements.


"Time rushes by and yet time is frozen. Funny how we get so exact about time at the end of life and at its beginning. She died at 6:08 or 3:46, we say, or the baby was born at 4:02. But in between we slosh through huge swatches of time -

weeks, months, years, decades even."

Helen Prejean (b. 1940), U.S. nun and activist

Boyds / OODA Cycle (Loops)

Learn, Contemplate, and Apply this Cycle!


Summary Attempt to find your opponent first

(During this location process, create a false picture or illusion with your illumination tools)

Once threats are located, attempt to unbalance by 10-ringing threats with large quantities of light; this stops threats from processing useful data freely

OODA Cycle - Applied in Low-Light

pending a high percentage of your resources to see your opponent clearly FIRST is an investment in thefuture that should pay off handsomely. In low-light conditions the total amount of data that you cantake in is limited due to the fact that your overall visual field is significantly reduced by lack of reflectedlight. Much of your world essentially disappears before your eyes. The world appears and reappears in

small swatches of terrain created by your illumination tool(s).

The good news is that oftentimes your opponent finds himself in the exact same predicament. It now becomesa situation of who can operate more efficiently and who is more familiar with this particular environment.

Remember when you emit light, you are giving your general location away to unseen opponents. Learning tominimize and encrypt this signature is a lifesaving skill that must be mastered. This concept was addressedin the proper lighting principles section of this curriculum and will be further addressed in the practicalexercises that will follow.

The goal at this point in the OODA Cycle is for you to see what you need to see AND AT THE SAME TIME create afalse and deceptive picture to any threats that may be hiding in the area.

Once the threats are located and other threat areas are accounted for, you can transition from merely locating,to a more aggressive attempt to short-circuit the opponent's observation capability. Attacking the observationsensor itself, the eyes, does this. An intense beam of light, directed into the opponent's pupils, can becompared to tripping a good runner at the starting line of a 100-yard dash. Just when they need goodinformation (such as when the runner needs traction and leverage), you trip up the sensor and temporarilyoverwhelm it.

During this unbalancing, the opportunity for resolution will appear.

Remember, the human eye is 100,000 times more sensitive to light when dark-adapted. It can be quite painfulto look at a concentrated beam of light. This is why you will find threats rapidly averting their eyes, rotatingtheir head, raising their hands to block the beam. Lower levels of force in an Arrest and Control situation can beapplied when you direct light into the subjects pupils with a good illumination tool.

S

OBSERVE


SummaryIdentify the layout and hazards in the area

If a human target appears, identify as a shoot or no-shootDisorient by attacking the opponents radar system(random fluctuations or overwhelm it with energy)

any things influence your orientation during the dynamics of conflict. The information that you receive just prior togoing into a situation is a powerful agent, so if time allows, scrub and question this data as much as possible.Misinformation or misinterpretation of the data can set off a chain reaction of events that can be lethal for you, your

partners/teammates as well as the citizens you are trying to serve.

Your training regime also influences your orientation. If you have not regularly used your illumination tools in conjunction withyour weapon, your less-lethal options, and in concert with partners, you will find yourself task overloaded in the environmentand therefore disoriented under the pressure of lethal force engagements.

Once you find a threat at the end of your illumination tool, your next job is two-fold in scope.

Number one: Put this potential threat into proper perspective. Identification, especially at night, is an extremely importantissue. Special Forces operations in Afghanistan (War on Terror 2001) relied heavily on white light illumination because the useof night vision devices was not sufficient for clear identification of friend or foe. All indigenous forces were difficult todistinguish because their look, dress and modes of transportation were similar. SF units maintained stealth as much aspossible, but at some point they had to light 'em up and quickly determine who was who. On a side note, the systems theyemployed caused horses to violently react, dislodging their riders!

Number two: Use the light to disorient your opponents. They need good information, deny it to them. Before stealthtechnology, fighter pilots flew with specially designed aircraft that created multiple images on the opponent's radar screen,making it extremely difficult to determine which image was the most important.

Do the same thing, disorient your opponent's radar with random, rapid movements and flashes, or on the other end of thespectrum send an energy pulse into their radar to overwhelm the system entirely.

Keep in mind, most Law Enforcement encounters are not shooting situations. You will most likely end up talking or employingless-lethal options that will culminate in getting hands-on for a take-down to a restraint.

Using white light to disorient your suspect just prior to this portion of the encounter will increase the yield and effectivenessof your tools and techniques.


M

ORIENT


SummaryIncoming Data is immediately parsed into one of two pathways

The conscious processing center is sequential, deliberate and variables limitedThe sub-conscious is parallel, a distributed network, and time-efficient


or simplicitys sake, decisions in any given situation essentially come through two basic pathways:Conscious mind or Sub-conscious mind.

Each pathway leads to unique processing centers that deal with incoming data (images, sound, touch, smells,overall perception) in distinct ways. The outgoing data streams (decision that leads to action) also haveunique exit pathways.

Both potential incoming and outgoing pathways and processing centers need to be clear of obstructions, wideand free flowing. This of course is the core reason to train, and train specific to the mission requirements.Pathways and processing centers are task specific. Just because you can fly an F22 fighter jet in combat,does not automatically mean you will do well in close quarter confrontations with small arms or vice versa.

These transitions simply cannot be mentally ascended to. The processing center needs to draw upon, weighout, discriminate and evaluate from genuine experience.

There is a mental switch that sends the incoming data and orientation in one direction or the other. Theprocessing speed of this mental switch is influenced by several components. They are time, distance andlevel of credibility for any given threat or attack.

Distance really can be considered a sub-component of time, because generally speaking the more distance youhave from any given situation, the more time you have to arrive at the optimal decision.

In any given situation, the more time you have and the lower the threat level, the more data will get diverted tothe conscious side of the mind for decision-making.

The conscious mind is sequential and compartmentalized in its approach to problem solving. The consciousmind can handle a limited amount of variables, and is easily overwhelmed.

The opposite is true for an attack that comes from close range and is perceived to be extremely lethal. Virtuallyall the incoming data, orientation and decision-making processes are diverted to the sub-conscious mind fordeliberation.

The sub-conscious mind thinks in parallel and draws from all storage quadrants simultaneously. The sub-conscious mind is designed to handle a myriad of familiar factors in compressed time frames. Once a solutionis apparent (with no conscious effort or friction), an action sequence is generated and translated to the bodyfor a mobilized response.

F

DECIDE


SummaryAll action should be preceded by 3 phases: Observation, Orientation, Decision

A reasonable amount of training should be in context of specific mission requirementsIntroduce the correct type of stress in training to produce proper actions when required

his phase of the cycle is where the internal will is expressed through the physical manifestation of speech,body movements and tool manipulation. In low-light conditions, this means using your illumination system inconjunction with your firearm to effectively deal with any encountered threat(s).

It is important to understand that this is the last portion of a relatively long, unseen journey.

Many, many operators place such an extreme emphasis on this portion of combat that they neglect the weightier ormore significant portions of the OODA Cycle, which I believe are at least 80% - 90% of the actual battle.

This is not to minimize the importance of seeking out and diligently practicing all viable actions for any givencircumstance. A large matrix of potential actions exists and must be respected. The matrix will have to be sorted,evaluated and X number of solutions selected. This will be a matter of knowledge, attitude, time allotted andresources allocated.

Constantly practicing any particular action out of context [finding an opponent (Observation)], placing them inperspective (Orientation), struggling and laboring to select the best choice among many (Decision)] is action thatmay or may not be there when you need it most. Simply evaluate the dismal percentages of shots on target ingunfights that take place generally closer than 20 feet.

In many cases, it is not because the officer does not have the motor skills or understanding to align the sights andsqueeze a lever (Action), it is because this required action was never done in the context of real close quarterconflict.

Range firing, video simulators, and mental contemplation of expected future events do not bring true familiarity ofaction simply because they are not preceded by the intense requirements of a lethal force confrontation. They arepoor substitutes.

Officers that never have the opportunity to initiate fire based on a combat sequence of events are short-changed intheir training. Actions that are triggered by verbal commands, a turning target, a beeper, etc., are not genuineprecursors to an actual fight.

The bottom line is, a similar type of stress in training must be present in order to expect X action to besuccessfully deployed in combat.

All proposed courses of action will need to be tested under the crucible of SNS pressure to discern and correctlyevaluate the repeatability of any given action.

TOODA Cycle - Applied in Low-Light

ACT


The Mind of War John Boyd and American Security - By Grant T. Hammond

Several key points must be emphasized. Fire at all levels by artillery, mortars, and machine guns was exploited to hold the adversarys attentionand pin him down. Such fire, together with gas and smoke (as well as fog and mist), was designed to capture the adversarys attention, forceheads down, and dramatically obscure view, thereby cloaking the infiltrators movements. The dispersed and irregular character of movingswarms permitted the infiltrators to blend against the irregular and changing terrain features as they pushed forward. Taken together, thesefactors (captured attention, obscured view, and indistinct character of the advance) denied the adversary the opportunity to gain an accuratepicture of what was happening, or in this sense, taking place. The infiltration teams suddenly appeared to loom out of nowhere to blow through,around, and behind the disoriented defenders.

The essence of these tactics was to cloud or distort the signature of the attacking forces. They sought to improve mobility and avoid enemyfire while focusing the effort on penetrating, shattering, enveloping, and mopping up disconnected and isolated troops, and debris of theadversarys forces. - Page 134, para 1-2

The idea is to smash the blitz by turning its own techniques against itself. The inconspicuous, stealthy use of fast tempo, fluidity of action, andcohesion of the counterblitz combat teams is the key. They form, redirect, then halt the enemys advance. This places the adversary on thedefensive, not the offensive, halts his advance, and at least locally destroys the adversarys capacity to resist. In this military ju jitsu, one usesthe adversarys own momentum and offensive intent to ones defensive advantage. One employs his own techniques of fast pace, infiltration,penetration, and flanking movements to defeat him. - Page 149, para 2

Blitz-Guerrilla ThemesThe second lesson is to shape the adversarys perceptions and the pace of his reactions to events. One exploits ambiguity and deception sothe adversary doesnt really know what is going on and utilizes superior mobility and sudden violence to control the pace of events. - Page 147

para 2

The implication of the overall message, as Boyd called it, is this:The ability to operate at a faster tempo or rhythm than an adversary enables one to fold the adversary back inside himself so that he can neitherappreciate nor keep up with what is going on. He will become disoriented and confused which suggests that unless such menacing pressure isrelieved, the adversary will experience various combinations of uncertainty, doubt, confusion, self-deception, indecision, fear, panic,

discouragement, despair, etc., which will further

- Disorient or twist his mental images and impressions of what is happening; thereby- Disrupt his mental and physical maneuvers for dealing with such a menace, thereby- Overload his mental and physical capacity to adapt or endure; thereby- Collapse his ability to carry on.

By combining insights and experiences, by looking at other disciplines and activities and connecting them, one can create new strategies forcoping with the world and ones adversaries. Doing so allows one to develop repertories of competition, ways to contend with multipleadversaries in different contexts. In doing so, one develops a fingerspitzengefuhl (finger-tip feel) for folding adversaries back insidethemselves, morally, mentally, and physically, so that they can neither appreciate nor cope with what is happening. Thus, the artful manipulationof isolation and interaction is the key to successful strategy. - Page 160, para 2-4

The key is rapid OODA loop cycles to permit one to respond quickly

to the unfolding tactical circumstances.


Mind-Set

Arrogance invites ruin; humility receives benefits.

Chinese proverb

Mind Set for TrainingFirst and foremost, one must accept the fact that in order to expect success under duress, one musttrain. Train regularly, train intelligently, and train with a view to learn new aspects of a process withwhich you may already consider yourself familiar.

The way is in Training

Miyamoto Musashi - Renowned Japanese swordsman

The great corrupter of public man is the ego.... Looking at the mirror distracts

one's attention from the problem.

Dean Acheson

The ego turns out to be the gatekeeper of the mind. Let's face it; many would not be attracted to thisline of work or have been successful if it were not for a strong, healthy, properly functioning ego. Afterall, we are not in the floral industry. But, we must be ever vigilant to temper it with regular doses ofhumility and reality checks.

All things being equal, personal ego is the single most important facet of the human condition that theindividual must learn to tame in order to keep climbing the proverbial mountain of tactical knowledge andprowess successfully.

Mind Set for CombatThrough proper training we are fortifying the mind against deadly failures in combative situations. Themind must not be overly cluttered with tasks that could have been relegated to the more powerful andefficient sub-conscious mind.

The mind, in a combative situation, must be free to appreciate the actual situation and act accordingly.The mind should not be encumbered by lingering doubts and fears that could have been purged throughrigorous and targeted training.

An often-overlooked component of proper mind-set in combat is a mind that is no longer primarilyconcerned with self. If your personal survival is your number one priority, then I most humbly suggestthat you select a different profession that will not expose you to any additional ris

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NR Lowlight Manual 2014 Ken J Good