State Dept. Protection Team training method

[Ought Six]

I saw a program on the Discovery Channel describing the training of US State Department Protection Team members. I thought one of their techniques was very interesting.

The trainee is hooded. He's placed in a rectangular room with curtains on all sides. He is within a box painted on the floor, and the goal is to defend that box from attackers. The trainee is armed with a handgun loaded with Simunitions. Loud Indonesian music (lots of cymbals crashing) is played on a boom box while the 'attackers' set up, preventing the hooded trainee from hearing them and anticipating the attack. The hood has a cord attached to the top that goes to a pulley on the ceiling. When the scenario is ready to start, the music is turned off and the hood is yanked off the trainee's head by jerking on the cord. The attack begins.

The attacker(s) may be a single person or a group, armed or not. They may be right in the trainee's face when the hood comes off, or the room may be empty and attackers suddenly run out from behind the curtains. There may be people milling around the room, mumbling incoherently, and they suddenly turn, draw weapons and attack. Or, there may be people waving protest signs that rush the trainee and pull the signs off of quarterstaffs they were taped to, and attack him with the staffs. A screaming, aggressive man may approach from the front to distrct the trainee, and then a group of attackers rushes out from behind the curtain behind him. The variety of possible secnarios is endless. Obviously, the goal is to teach the trainee to deal with sudden, unexpected attacks from any direction, in any number, with any weapons, forcing him to choose his defense method for each attacker, use weapon retention methods to maintain control of his own weapon, and make instant shoot/don't shoot decisions. This method could be adopted to any number of training regimens, either martial arts, firearms, or both. It definitely promotes flexible tactical thinking and situational awareness.

[Cheapo]

Why turn the music off?

Sounds like a hoot, but frightening at the same time.

[Glamdring]

umm...wouldn't the bad guys always win? I mean if it were me I would stand behind the guy wearing the hood and shoot him in the back.

[nbk2000]

Finding enough people to make this worth doing might be difficult. You have a shooter, a person to pull the hood (although he could be replaced by a mechanical device), and at least 2 "perps" for target practice. Obviously you'd need more people for more realistic practice scenarios (bystanders, hostages, etc).

And in KKKalifornia, 2 or more people practicing "paramilitary" skills equals a criminal conspiracy and felony charges (bastards). I'm sure other states have similar "antimilita" laws.

[Al Thompson]

Hopefully the State folks have updated their training program. Ten years ago it was pretty horrible - friend went through it and reported that it was reprocessed crap.

Giz

[Ought Six]

Cheapo:

You could leave the music on or off. The more you vary the scenario, the better.
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Glamdring:

The goal is to train the student to respond to a variety of situations, not for the instructor to 'win' every time. Presenting a student only with a no-win situation isn't very good training.
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nbk2000:

The law you're referring to is quoted below. Training citizens to use a pistol to deal with deadly assaults from multiple attackers in not paramilitary training and is perfectly legal. This kind of training would be good for a shooting club, where getting a bunch of people together would be much easier. You and your buddies could also form your own 'neighborhood watch' organization. The local cops would actually *help* you. This would be a great front to divert suspicion and scrutiny from your activites. It would give you legitimacy, a reason to train together, and even a valid excuse for you and your buds roaming your neighborhood at night. You'd just have to do your other training on private land, and set it up like a three-gun match or something legal like that. Use hunting camoflauge suits instead of mil surplus, and leave them and the web gear for unarmed 'backpacking' trips. If you use your head, it's not difficult to bypass the rules safely.

11460.

(a) Any two or more persons who assemble as a paramilitary organization for the purpose of practicing with weapons shall be punished by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than one year or by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both.

As used in this subdivision, "paramilitary organization" means an organization which is not an agency of the United States government or of the State of California, or which is not a private school meeting the requirements set forth in Section 12154 of the Education Code, but which engages in instruction or training in guerilla warfare or sabotage, or which, as an organization, engages in rioting or the violent disruption of, or the violent interference with, school activities.

(b) (1) Any person who teaches or demonstrates to any other person the use, application, or making of any firearm, explosive, or destructive device, or technique capable of causing injury or death to persons, knowing or having reason to know or intending that such objects or techniques will be unlawfully employed for use in, or in the furtherance of a civil disorder, or any person who assembles with one or more other persons for the purpose of training with, practicing with, or being instructed in the use of any firearm, explosive, or destructive device, or technique capable of causing injury or death to persons, with the intent to cause or further a civil disorder, shall be punished by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than one year or by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both.

Nothing in this subdivision shall make unlawful any act of any peace officer or a member of the military forces of this state or of the United States, performed in the lawful course of his official duties.

(2) As used in this section:

(A) "Civil disorder" means any disturbance involving acts of violence which cause an immediate danger of or results in damage or injury to the property or person of any other individual.

(B) "Destructive device" has the same meaning as in Section 12301.

(C) "Explosive" has the same meaning as in Section 12000 of the Health and Safety Code.

(D) "Firearm" means any device designed to be used as a weapon, or which may readily be converted to a weapon, from which is expelled a projectile by the force of any explosion or other form of combustion, or the frame or receiver of any such weapon.

(E) "Peace officer" means any peace officer or other officer having the powers of arrest of a peace officer, specified in Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 830) of Title 3 of Part 2.

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Gizmo99:

Your friend is probably referring to the self-protection course that State gives it's diplodorks and staffers to make them feel safer. That has nothing to do with the training of the State Dept. Protection Teams, which appeared in the program to be more comprehensive and professional than SWAT team training I've observed before.

[Glamdring]

But being on a protective detail solo is a lose-lose situation IMHO. I understand that this is just a single exercise in their training but still think force on force training would be better.

[Al Thompson]

Ought Six - that was a booby trapped comment I made - your flat on target with your analysis. The bud was a military officer going to an attache job.

I don't have any opinion of the training you describe. Sounds interesting, but from a non-participant, hard to assess it's worth.

How do these SD types mesh with the USMC guards? Supplements? Point protection/body guards?

Giz

[Ought Six]

Gizmo99:

The SD Protection Teams are mainly for mobile security and motorcade defense when diplomats are out and about in foreign countries. They are based in the USA, travel with the Sec of State and others, and bring their own 'war wagon' modified Chevy Suburbans to protect the diplomat's limo. The Marines guard the various embassy compounds, and are stationed at those embassies full time.
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Glamdring:

The key word is protection *team*. They don't travel solo, a group of four was the smallest element I saw deployed when they showed them at work. However, with a four-man team, they are spaced in a protective perimeter facing outward in four directions, and each man is individually responsible for immediate threats coming from his sector. Thus, the individual quick-reaction training is valuable as other team memebers are busy covering their own sector.

[Thumper]

I saw the same thing awhile back...Thought it was great training. I was very impressed with the video'ed agent's weapon retention techniques (both with handgun and MP5) and I ain't no slouch. .06-Thanks for posting that law. It is chilling. The more I learn about Kalifornia, the more frightened I get. Unbelievable.

[hkP7]

Duane DIeter was mentioned in the show.

Anyone know if he has a website?