Read the Color Code of the Tactical (Combat) Mindset
More important than the ability to execute tactics and shoot accurately is a tactical mindset. If your mindset is not correct at the start of a fight, the confrontation may be very one-sided. For those who carry a weapon for a living and those who carry for protection a tactical mindset is essential to make it out of a firearm-involved scuffle. There are four colors which represent four very distinct states in which you and your mind can be in. Each have their purpose and a reaction. This code is used widely by the community of firearm users involved in tactical situations on a daily basis.
Contents
Steps
- White: condition white is a state of unreadiness, you are oblivious to your surroundings.
- White may characterized by daydreaming, self-concentration, looking at the ground, or concentrating mindlessly on any single subject.
- This condition is the optimal time for any assailant to make their move as the victim will not see the action coming and will be caught by complete surprise.
- Even the unarmed citizen should never be caught in this capacity, because many bad situations could be prevented just from a person being aware of their setting.
- Yellow: in condition yellow the environment is observed and while a fight does not look imminent, it is still a thought in your mind.
- Observations should include suspicious characters, watching what is behind you (from behind is the easiest way to take someone by surprise), and looking for general areas of cover (if something were to suddenly come up, you know where to move immediately).
- Yellow is the state any concerned citizen should be in at any given time. While obviously this isn't possible (as everyone's mind wanders from one time to another), striving to see general environmental cues could save you the hassle of a fight.
- Attackers are often wary about moving in on someone who is obviously in condition yellow. They notice that you are noticing them and would rather not risk anything when they can easily find someone in condition white.
- By default, arming yourself with a weapon means you are always in condition yellow or higher. You should never be in condition white while armed.
- Orange: occurs when there is the possibility of threat but a source has yet to be identified.
- This can occur when a situation is obviously turning south, or you are just in a bad part of town. Your awareness is heightened, and your observations become more specific: "What is this guy doing walking right toward me?" "What is that in his hand?" "That group of hoodlums don't look like they are up to much good."
- While no need for action is immediately required, you are ready and prepared. If something were to happen you know exactly where to move at this moment and you are thinking about possibilities for tactical withdraw or retaliation.
- This condition has a specific (and predetermined) point which will pull your "mental trigger", which means you will snap into action and execute your plan.
- This point will vary from person to person as they weigh risk, moral, ethical, and other repercussions that will occur. Just remember the average "shady person" will be much more limited on kindness and forgiveness than you are.
- Red: this is the condition where your "mental trigger" has been tripped and you are taking action against a very specific adversary (or adversaries).
- At the beginning of the red condition your weapon should be out and ready. This will free up any required retaliatory options.
- You execute your plan working your way from the primary threat to secondary threats, and so on; always be thinking of the here and now and not on what you have just done or will do after you have gotten away from the situation.
- Remember, as you are making decisions, they will be very quick and the member of the battle who makes the correct decisions the quickest will be the most likely to walk away. As in condition orange difficult moral and ethical decisions that you will run into should have been determined (by yourself) before you ever started carrying your weapon on your person.
- In this competition "the only trophy is the right to breathe, and the loser gets sent home in a body bag."
- Black: this is the condition you end up in at the end of the confrontation. This is when you are with the police or assessing a downplay of what just happened.
- This is the combat debrief period. At this moment take steps to notify the proper authorities and analyze how the situation went.
- Remember, after a combative situation, you may have to deal with both mental and physical aspects of recovery from a flight/fight response.
- Cooperate with the Police, but make sure you do so through a lawyer or legal counsel. Sometimes you may need legal counsel to ensure your side of the story is accurate and is portrayed to the authorities in a manner in which you will minimize the Civil or Criminal liabilities for your actions.
- No matter what, if you are at this condition, then you reached the desired condition. You have stopped the threat and, you are alive.
Tips
- Professional training can help greatly to hone your weapon skills and help you identify what tactics should be used in different situations. Seek training before you carry a weapon for any purpose.
- Don't allow yourself to be caught in condition white. Even in the security of your house, an unexpected bump in the night should set alarms off in your head and you should instantly be prepared, and depending on what happens next, elevating to condition orange or red may be required.
- Depending on the circumstances and your setting your weapon may be out and ready in condition orange (in your house is an excellent example of this).
- Condition red should only occur if you have identified your target and know the full situation. Of course, the full situation may be "this man has a gun pointed at me" (at this point it should be game over for him as you know the only other decision may, very easily, be lights out for you).
Warnings
- Firearms can be very dangerous and even lethal. They should only be used by experienced firearm users. Be sure you know how to handle a firearm safely.
- Be sure to follow all state and local laws while shooting. Note that many laws on firearms change drastically from state to state, and can even change between counties or even cities.
- Laws are a gray area when it comes to tactical readiness and tactical execution. You must determine before you ever decide to carry what your trigger points are, and whether pulling the trigger is worth having the luxury of going to court or to jail.
