Tactical Awareness

 The terms tactics and strategy are often confused: tactics deal with the actual means used to gain an objective, while strategy deals more with an overall plan, which may involve complex operational patterns and decision-making aspects that lead to tactical execution.  So whether you are planning a weekly or monthly shopping tip to Wal-Mart or planning a hostage rescue mission, proper tactics are required to accomplish the overall mission.  While strategy often dictates tactics, tactics don’t dictate strategy.  The mission strategy is planned at the onset of a mission with specific tactics in mind, but as the old adage of no plan survives first contact goes, tactics must often be changed or modified in order to accomplish the mission.  This is where awareness comes into play and the need to be flexible in the execution of a particular mission.

Awareness can be explained as comprising a human's or an animal's perception and cognitive reaction to a condition or event. Awareness does not necessarily imply understanding, just an ability to be conscious of, feel or perceive.  That’s where flexibility enters the equation. 

While the military uses the term “situational awareness” to describe understanding of a specific environment (a battlefield in most cases) and the various elements involved (troops, armor, aircraft, enemy position, etc.) from a commander’s or a command element’s point of view regarding the many elements listed, I prefer the term “situational readiness” which is more specific to individuals and small units regarding themselves. 

Things to consider when dealing with situational readiness are cover versus concealment involving you, your team and potential assailant or enemy positions; lighting regarding your ability to see your avenue of travel and a potential attacker’s position (is the sun in your eyes or behind you – streetlight positioning, no light, etc.); terrain and environment such as an urban sprawl or a country village, mountains or flatland, etc.  While those elements cover the situational aspect of the equation, the readiness aspect deals with the observation and analysis aspect of how to approach the situation. 

The use of these elements to your advantage thereby enhancing your ability to survive a violent encounter is good tactics.  Remember the Murphy’s Law that states, “If it sucks but works it doesn’t suck”, so it goes with good tactics and the need to be flexible.  Your ability to survive might involve conducting yourself or executing an action that you might not have planned for and would otherwise not perform or consider under normal circumstances.  The bottom line is good tactics and situational readiness (tactical awareness) = survival.

Until Next time … Take Care and Stay Aware!