14 June 13
It was my honor and privilege to work with a local PD SWAT Team in the Northwest earlier this week. We had twenty of them there, all equipped with M4s bearing Aimpoints, as well as Kimber 1911 pistols. A few had Glock 21s.
We ran an intense Course. Each officer fired many rounds through both rifle and pistol, while running, jumping, rolling on the ground, etc. All did the entire exercise while continuously wearing their rifles, pistols, magazines for both, as well as their complete turn-out gear/ensemble, including armor. It was a hot, windy day, and we all became thoroughly fatigued, but had to keep going and keep shooting!
These SWAT Officers have regular duties as patrolmen, detectives, etc. They volunteer for SWAT duty, which involves much extra time and regular, mandatory training like the foregoing. There is little extra money and scant prestige associated with the title. They do it because of their acute dedication to their community and to our Art.
Even when exhausted, they have trained themselves to keep going. It was everything I could do to keep up with them!
They make me proud of our Profession!
“Now, if you are going to win any battle, you have to do one thing. You have to make the mind run the body. Never let the body tell the mind what to do. The body will always give up…. You’ve got to make the mind take over and keep going.”
Patton
/John
