Preparation = Situational Awarness

[Hydrojim]

More of a mindset than a skill!

It is important to note that situational awareness — being aware of one's surroundings and identifying potential threats and dangerous situations — is more of a mindset than a hard skill. Because of this, situational awareness is not something that can be practiced only by highly trained government agents or special Forces Operators.. Indeed, it can be exercised by those willing to with the discipline to do so. Situational awareness is not only important for recognizing emerging environmental threats such as a sever storm or other potential deadly weather but it also serves to identify criminal behavior and other dangerous situations.

The primary element in establishing this mindset is first to recognize that threats exist. Ignorance, stupidity or denial of a threat make a person's chances of quickly recognizing an emerging threat and avoiding it highly unlikely. Bad things do happen. Apathy, denial and complacency is quite often fatal in these type situations. .

Another important aspect of situational awarness mindset is ownership of your own security needs as well as your loved ones who may be limited in thier ability to provide thier own security, the need to take responsibility for one's own security is paramount., Lets be real here. the resources of any government are finite and the authorities simply cannot be everywhere and they haven't the ability to control the weather or even react properly in the aftermath.. Case in point New Orleans 2005 / Hurricane Katrina, would you have wanted to sit on a hot freeway overpass with swamp water beneath you full of gators and water moccasins, for days on end people did just that with no food no water and no help from thier heros the State of Louisana and the U.S. Federal Govt. Hell look at how well the government controls criminal activity, need I say more. Take responsibility for your own security, less you be robbed one day sitting atop a freeway overpass surrounded by snake and gator infested swamp water.. When I say your own security I already said this should include your loved ones but also don't forget your elderly or vulnerable neighbors, its the right thing to do.

Another important facet of this mindset is learning to trust your "gut" or intuition. A person's subconscious will quickly notice subtle signs of danger that the conscious mind can't quite process as rapidly. Trusting your gut and avoiding a potentially dangerous situation may inconvenience you occasionally, but writing of these signs has the potential to be much more than inconvenient.

The discipline aspects surrounding situational awareness is the conscious effort to pay attention to gut feelings and to surrounding events even while you are busy and distracted by life's everyday activities. At such times obvious threats or even potential violent attacks can and do go unnoticed, don't become a victim, learn to be observant even while going about your daily routine. Extreme Paranoia is never good, but denial and complacency can be deadly. Stay alert trust your gut and stay alive.

Practice your situational awarness.

Exercise One: With a partner at hand, when the two of you enter a room, an office a restaurant or small store. One of you should unexpectedly after a minute or so ask the other to step outside for a moment. Then ask them "How many other people are in there?" in that room or building, "How many males how many females?" "How many adults and how many children?" "How many exit points did you identify" you get the picture.

Exercise two: Practice loading your car, SUV or pick-up with all the firearms, ammunition, safety, survival gear, food, water, medicine, documents, money etc. Including all the family members and the dog, and don't forget the elderly neighbor. Continue this exercise until you can get it all done in under twenty minutes. Think thats over the top?. People evacuating the fires in the Santiam Canyon in Oregon last year had less time than that, and unfortunately for some that wasn't enough.

FAILURE TO PREPARE IS A PREPERATION FOR FAILURE.

Jim M.

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[Hydrojim]

A note to add to the above.

. My son when he was younger found it to be quite amusing to ask me questions regarding my situational awarness. Such as one time he, his Uncle and I checked into a hotel room, when I entered the room I went straight into the bathroom and shut the door to the bathroom behind me, after conducting my business within I exited the bathroom and heard my son say to his Uncle "Watch this" my son then proceeded to question me as to the contents of the bathroom, and without me returning to look asked "how many wash clothes are in there, how many hand towels, how many bath towels, how many bars of soap etc., etc". Of which I answered him and he checked to see how accurate I was , if I recall correctly I was about 95% accurate.

. You see I do things like this subconsciously because its a mind set, I have trained my mind over the years to observe in great detail my situational awarness. Like I said my son found this quite entertaining when he was younger but what he wasn't aware of is how this thinking was taking hold of him, as he started becoming more and more aware of his surroundings he thought maybe it was an annoying obsessive disorder he had picked up from me. He couldn't have been more wrong, at least about the annoying part.

. After 512 combat missions he stated situational awarness was a key factor in him completing so many missions without any physical injuries, notice I said "Without physical injuries".

I am thankful for the fact he made it thru all those missions without physical injuries, very thankful. And also thankful that to this day he has good situational awarness skills, he recently used these situational awarness skills to protect my young grandchildren out with him on a camping trip. He and they arrived at camp after dark and set up camp. The location was primitive and remote to say the least with no other campers for miles. As my son daughter in law and grand kids were roasting dinner over a fire my son kept noticing one of his dogs (A cattle dog) walking from side to side of the camp perimeter peering into the darkness, not wanting to alarm the kids my son explained this as she probably hears a racoon or possum but his gut feeling told him it was more than that.

. He and the kids and wife along with the cattle dog bedded down for the night all in the same tent, 45 ACP pistol by his side. At first light they awoke and the kids were stirring around as was the cattle dog still on high alert as she was all night. My son instructed my daughter in law to keep the kids close gave her the pistol and he grabbed his 243 rifle and he and the cattle got set off in a direction 180 degrees from where the dog last alerted.

. He then circled wide and back around to an angle that gave him a high ground view of his camp perimeter and approximately where the dog had last alerted. He could hear the kids laughing and playing and could see them through a fairly unobstructed view from his high ground vantage point, what else he seen in the brush not 35 yards from his camp perimeter was a 95lb female cougar in a crouched position peering directly at my grandchildren. He immediately shouldered the rifle kicked off the safety held cross hair to the front center of mass and squeezed. The shot echoed thru the timber and the camp went silent. 45 minutes later my son emerged from the brush into the camp with a dead female cougar and instructed my daughter in law to prepare a steak for the cattle dog.

. Situational-Awarness, you see he could have convinced himself as he did his family that the dog was alerting to nothing more than a coon or possum, but why didn't he? Because his gut feeling told him it was more than that, his conscience mind listened to his sub-concious mind and heeded the warnings as it did on all those combat missions. Sure he could have been wrong and got nothing more out of it than a little morning exercise, but thats not so bad is it?. Or he could have ignored his gut feeling and???.....

I know my son all to well and fortunately the U.S. ARMY and I trained him better than that, he nor my grandchildren or daughter in law will ever end up as victims, and you and your loved ones need not be either. Stay alert, trust your gut and don't become a victim.

Jim M.

 

[cigars]

A note to add to the above.

. My son when he was younger found it to be quite amusing to ask me questions regarding my situational awarness. Such as one time he, his Uncle and I checked into a hotel room, when I entered the room I went straight into the bathroom and shut the door to the bathroom behind me, after conducting my business within I exited the bathroom and heard my son say to his Uncle "Watch this" my son then proceeded to question me as to the contents of the bathroom, and without me returning to look asked "how many wash clothes are in there, how many hand towels, how many bath towels, how many bars of soap etc., etc". Of which I answered him and he checked to see how accurate I was , if I recall correctly I was about 95% accurate.

. You see I do things like this subconsciously because its a mind set, I have trained my mind over the years to observe in great detail my situational awarness. Like I said my son found this quite entertaining when he was younger but what he wasn't aware of is how this thinking was taking hold of him, as he started becoming more and more aware of his surroundings he thought maybe it was an annoying obsessive disorder he had picked up from me. He couldn't have been more wrong, at least about the annoying part.

. After 512 combat missions he stated situational awarness was a key factor in him completing so many missions without any physical injuries, notice I said "Without physical injuries".

I am thankful for the fact he made it thru all those missions without physical injuries, very thankful. And also thankful that to this day he has good situational awarness skills, he recently used these situational awarness skills to protect my young grandchildren out with him on a camping trip. He and they arrived at camp after dark and set up camp. The location was primitive and remote to say the least with no other campers for miles. As my son daughter in law and grand kids were roasting dinner over a fire my son kept noticing one of his dogs (A cattle dog) walking from side to side of the camp perimeter peering into the darkness, not wanting to alarm the kids my son explained this as she probably hears a racoon or possum but his gut feeling told him it was more than that.

. He and the kids and wife along with the cattle dog bedded down for the night all in the same tent, 45 ACP pistol by his side. At first light they awoke and the kids were stirring around as was the cattle dog still on high alert as she was all night. My son instructed my daughter in law to keep the kids close gave her the pistol and he grabbed his 243 rifle and he and the cattle got set off in a direction 180 degrees from where the dog last alerted.

. He then circled wide and back around to an angle that gave him a high ground view of his camp perimeter and approximately where the dog had last alerted. He could hear the kids laughing and playing and could see them through a fairly unobstructed view from his high ground vantage point, what else he seen in the brush not 35 yards from his camp perimeter was a 95lb female cougar in a crouched position peering directly at my grandchildren. He immediately shouldered the rifle kicked off the safety held cross hair to the front center of mass and squeezed. The shot echoed thru the timber and the camp went silent. 45 minutes later my son emerged from the brush into the camp with a dead female cougar and instructed my daughter in law to prepare a steak for the cattle dog.

. Situational-Awarness, you see he could have convinced himself as he did his family that the dog was alerting to nothing more than a coon or possum, but why didn't he? Because his gut feeling told him it was more than that, his conscience mind listened to his sub-concious mind and heeded the warnings as it did on all those combat missions. Sure he could have been wrong and got nothing more out of it than a little morning exercise, but thats not so bad is it?. Or he could have ignored his gut feeling and???.....

I know my son all to well and fortunately the U.S. ARMY and I trained him better than that, he nor my grandchildren or daughter in law will ever end up as victims, and you and your loved ones need not be either. Stay alert, trust your gut and don't become a victim.

Jim M.

I've played that "game" with my kids, usually as we go driving somewhere. After we would pass an intersection I would ask them how many people were there and what were they wearing. As well, I have drilled into their heads to take note of any exit when you walk into a room or building and look for anything that can be used as a weapon or distraction. Hopefully as I kick them out I to the world the retain some of it. While I tried to keep the tacticool lifestyle to a minum , I have always drilled into their heads that the world is a dangerous place.

 

[Certaindeaf]

I flush my used rubbers down the toilet if the bangee is at all hinky.
Sue me.








Lol

 

[Hydrojim]

I've played that "game" with my kids, usually as we go driving somewhere. After we would pass an intersection I would ask them how many people were there and what were they wearing. As well, I have drilled into their heads to take note of any exit when you walk into a room or building and look for anything that can be used as a weapon or distraction. Hopefully as I kick them out I to the world the retain some of it. While I tried to keep the tacticool lifestyle to a minum , I have always drilled into their heads that the world is a dangerous place.

Sounds as if you've taught them well. They will retain it, depending on thier age they may not admit it yet but one day not only will they admit it they will come to thank you. Trust me, that's what will happen in time.

 

[Hydrojim]

I flush my used rubbers down the toilet if the bangee is at all hinky.
Sue me.








Lol

Not to certain what a bangee is, I am assuming that your using the word as a noun and the word hinky is an obsolete adjective with various meanings, hence its obsoletion. So not to sure what your trying to communicate in regards to the disposition of your off spring you floated down the river in a rubber life raft. But good for you, I guess.

 

[Longwalkhome]

Not to certain what a bangee is, I am assuming that your using the word as a noun and the word hinky is an obsolete adjective with various meanings, hence its obsoletion. So not to sure what your trying to communicate in regards to the disposition of your off spring you floated down the river in a rubber life raft. But good for you, I guess.

I think you are going to fit right in on this site with the thinkers and doers. Welcome aboard.

 

[Knobgoblin]

I honestly don't know if I was born with this "gut" you speak of. But I definitely have cultivated it . Being a misanthrope comes in handy too.
I don't go round making excuses for folks I dislike on sight by thinking it's rude of me. This is how friendly Lame-Os end up feeding the coyotes .
It's not difficult for me to endure a socially uncomfortable situation. And this is not true for a lot of people it seems .

 

[Longwalkhome]

the culture has a lot of problems, its good folks talk about how to survive a culture reset. Heck,I am an old man now so did I get there by situational awareness,good luck or just in the right places at the right time?

The culture seems to changing to a more dangerous time if you are in the wrong place, isn't that the way its always been?

 

[Knobgoblin]

the culture has a lot of problems, its good folks talk about how to survive a culture reset. Heck,I am an old man now so did I get there by situational awareness,good luck or just in the right places at the right time?

The culture seems to changing to a more dangerous time if you are in the wrong place, isn't that the way its always been?

99.9% of this country is not the "wrong place " during daylight hours. So the wrong time definitely has a lot to do with it.

 

[Longwalkhome]

99.9% of this country is not the "wrong place " during daylight hours. So the wrong time definitely has a lot to do with it.

I read a great deal and its frustrating because I never trust the media to tell the truth. A recent story out of Portand was that 37 people have been murdered in Portland because of millions in police budget cuts and 81 officer leaving the force.

If its true then obviously crime will get really bad in Portland and it becomes a real risk to go there. Portlands culture has taken a turn for the worse. Imho

 

[Knobgoblin]

I have no knowledge of this, but it wouldn't surprise me. It also wouldn't particularly concern me if I was moving in and around Portland between 8AM and 5pm.
If homeless/junkies/drug dealers/ or whatever are murdering one another it's probably between 10pm and 6am. In other words, prime time for crime time.

 

[Longwalkhome]

Just saying the situation is changing and the risk is too. I have lived in Oregon all my life and its never been so bad, thats 69 years of living. There is no reason it has to be this way but its being pushed as a reset I guess.

Which brings me to my next point. Two years ago nobody had any idea we were going to see the entire world struck with a man made virus. Those that have died i doubt were aware of what it was or that it was going to kill them.

I believe a world situation awareness is really imperative for they young folks with lots of life left. You can be ready for any bad a$$ with a gun but how many were killed by a virus?

Old and gabby tonight.

 

[Horatius]

we used to call it GANG violence! now I saw the Oregonian calls them groups of people! until we agree as a society that criminals need to be held to account I fear the numbers will continue to get worse. drugs and theft wont even get you arrested in Oregon anymore. Could there be a correlation between allowing crime and more crime?

 

[Horatius]

Just saying the situation is changing and the risk is too. I have lived in Oregon all my life and its never been so bad, thats 69 years of living. There is no reason it has to be this way but its being pushed as a reset I guess.

Which brings me to my next point. Two years ago nobody had any idea we were going to see the entire world struck with a man made virus. Those that have died i doubt were aware of what it was or that it was going to kill them.

I believe a world situation awareness is really imperative for they youg folks with lots of life left. You can be ready for any bad a$$ with a gun but how many were killed by a virus?

Old and gabby tonight.

interesting point, not one reported flu death that I can find last year!

 

[Longwalkhome]

interesting point, not one reported flu death that I can find last year!

A lot of info comming out that sure looks bad for those involved, yet under the new reset it doesn't look like justice will be done. Its why a say a world view is going to be really important for situational awareness. You can train 10 hours a day to fight but its worthless if you don't see the real fight comming.

 

[titsonritz]

Alertness is #1 in Jeff Cooper's Principles of Personal Defense.

https://www.northwestfirearms.com/threads/principles-of-personal-defense.55186/

 

[Longwalkhome]

we used to call it GANG violence! now I saw the Oregonian calls them groups of people! until we agree as a society that criminals need to be held to account I fear the numbers will continue to get worse. drugs and theft wont even get you arrested in Oregon anymore. Could there be a correlation between allowing crime and more crime?

Its still gang violence, the gang in the legislature is supporting it by the looks of how long its gone on. Can you name any other city that has riots every weekend? The legislature is either supporting it or unwilling to stop it so with that awareness you started the thread with a man has a chance to survive.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Not to certain what a bangee is, I am assuming that your using the word as a noun and the word hinky is an obsolete adjective with various meanings, hence its obsoletion. So not to sure what your trying to communicate in regards to the disposition of your off spring you floated down the river in a rubber life raft. But good for you, I

Not all ill intending cougars hide in the bushes. Cool story though.

 

[Longwalkhome]

Alertness is #1 in Jeff Cooper's Principles of Personal Defense.

https://www.northwestfirearms.com/threads/principles-of-personal-defense.55186/

I am old and a shooter so I have followed Jeff Coopers writings for decades. He color coded situational awareness to teach it. I believe he saved many lives with his training. I liked Chuck Taylor too, I have books by both of them.