Three second OODA loop.....

Status
Not open for further replies.
A

Al Thompson

Moderator Emeritus
Joined
Dec 21, 2002
Messages
8,844
Location
South Carolina
We've talked about wargaming possible threats or situations here in the past. By thinking about these sort of "what if?" things beforehand, you can get through the "Observe and Orient" part of the loop quickly and move to "Decide and Act". The element of surprise is minimized as you think to your self, "I was afraid this would happen" as opposed to being startled...

The guy in this video did a bunch of things right (IMHO) and quickly.

http://www.cnn.com/video/?hpt=hp_c3...urity-guard-shoots-thieves-internet-cafe.wesh
 
The really impressive part of that is not his draw; but how quickly he went from "Another boring night as a security guard" to "time to throw down."

Everytime we have these discussions, it seems everybody focuses on shaving time off of the Act point (fast draw) but the fact is, most of the time to be saved is in the OOD part of the loop. If you can trim your reaction times there 10%, you'll save more time than drawing like Jelly Brice will give you.
 
He didn't fumble with his holster, moved while shooting and utilized light cover while assessing the situation. Outstanding.
 
He was indeed on the ball.

Of course, after that dust up a while back with the wannabe thugs and the senior citizen with the Taurus .380, anyone who works security at an "internet cafe" has probably war gamed *that* scenario hundreds of times.

Evidently, it works.
 
Dude...GREAT reaction, good use of movement and cover, grace under pressure right there.

And I absolutely LOVE it when criminals put a sock over their hand...it kills me every time I see it.
 
It appears that the guard was well training and practiced in the fundamentals: drawing his gun smoothly without wasted motion; delivering accurate fire quickly; moving; and using cover. He apparently was able to perform those mechanical tasks well and without conscious thought and was thus able to focus his attention on the situation as it unfolded and make good choices about how he responded.
 
Any bets on whether he's prior service/Guard/Reserve? Also, I bet he get's fired.

It's also interesting that the one of the criminals lost their shoes running away. That just strikes me as hilariously natural. I work in downtown Detroit and apparently it's a custom among "gangsters" to wear a pair of shoes right out of the box. Like how they are in the store with the laces loosely inside the loops and tucked into the shoe. Well "gangsters" like to wear them just like that, similar to how they wear hats with the sales tag still attached. It's funny that this was probably what this criminal was doing and it may have cost him his life.
 
We've talked about wargaming possible threats or situations here in the past. By thinking about these sort of "what if?" things beforehand, you can get through the "Observe and Orient" part of the loop quickly and move to "Decide and Act". The element of surprise is minimized as you think to your self, "I was afraid this would happen" as opposed to being startled...
Click to expand...

Thank you for posting this commentary here. I was wondering if I was starting to go paranoid thinking of these situations, i.e. as I sit down in a crowded setting, as I am getting ready to walk somewhere at night, or pretty much any time I do something that breaks from my routine. Guess it's getting a preset of choices ready for the Decision stage of the OODA loop.
 
This also shines a good light on basic urban tactics, like picking the booth and seat with your back to the wall facing the door, or preferring to use a stall in the restroom even to urinate. Violent crime can strike any time anywhere, and it's not likely that you will have an expert security guard with the mindset, skillset, and toolset (which this one definitely has) to act as a buffer between you and violence. Imagine sitting at that cafe, but with no security guard. How do you react? Where is your gun? Can you get to it quickly and safely? What about innocent bystanders in the way? Cover and concealment? Possible emergency exits? Is your cell phone charged?

We must be tactical. No, not "eXtreme shock" tactical. But real tactical, as in having a mind that evaluates tactics. It doesn't take much time to look for emergency exits in a shop or eatery. It doesn't take additional effort to pick a seat so your back isn't facing the door. Changing your habits so your strong hand is always open and free isn't that much effort. Just do it.
 
Hard to tell for sure from grainy video, but it appears that homey #1 had his gun in hand when he comes through the door.

Estimate one second to traverse to the second door of glass... at which time the guard is already on his feet...

So he's confronted with two homies, one with gun in hand, moving fast, at ~12 feet....

and he draws and shoots first !

To me this speaks volumes about just how prepared your average small time gang banger is to deal with resistance and counter attack.

They seem to rely on the "pee your pants" reaction, to incapacitate their prey and get what they want.

Throw those bums out with the trash and let society move on.

But then again... I'm sure they really were "nice boys"
 
Why do you think that? He did exactly what he gets paid to do...
Click to expand...

99 times out of 100, a security guard's job is to lower the insurance premiums of the site they are at. That's it. Even armed guards. Security companies and contract businesses don't like it when guns are involved with anything or when the guards do anything more than follow exactly what their job description says to the letter. I've been an armed security guard for one of the biggest security companies before and been assigned to work at a bank. I was explicitly ordered in my training that I am not to use my firearm or any reason, except to defend my own life. Not in a robbery, not even if I hear someone getting shot inside the bank. I was told in direct certain terms that my presence and my firearm were for deterrence, not for actual use in any circumstance. They even cited instances where previous guards had attempted to intervene in robberies and been fired for their actions.
 
I was explicitly ordered in my training that I am not to use my firearm or any reason, except to defend my own life. Not in a robbery, not even if I hear someone getting shot inside the bank. I was told in direct certain terms that my presence and my firearm were for deterrence, not for actual use in any circumstance.
Click to expand...

Well, if they told you that, then that is your job description, and any deviation may get you fired. I have a friend that worked unarmed security for a little while, during his training he was told to only be a witness to any wrong doing, but if someone was looking for a fight, and decided to try it on him, to put them down by any means necessary. Mostly he worked at an old warehouse, though and sat in his car for 9 hours.

But, he was most definitely protecting his own life. I feel that if he gets fired, he'll have a pretty good chance at winning a wrongful termination suit. I mean, if they give you a gun, and tell you to shoot if your life's in danger, and you do exactly that, they can't really fire you for doing your job.

And yeah, your firearm is mostly used for deterrence, but it is still a firearm. It still shoots bullets.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top