SWAT Team Dynamic Entry-Marching to a Different Beat
We posted, either recently or a while ago, depending on when you read this article, a status update, asking our Facebook Fans “What do you think is the top mistake we see when evaluating Dynamic entries for SWAT teams?” The response to the question was interesting and many of our Fans posted great replies, which indeed are common mistakes we see, but not the top mistake.
Common mistakes, posted by our Fans, included things like: Not double or triple checking that you are at the right house, failing to check for trip wires, not checking the corners or looking up, forgetting to look down range and focusing on the floor as well as others. All good things to keep in mind and critical components of a sound entry. Unfortunately, as we posted, this is not the top mistake, we see when watching a team perform a Dynamic entry.
The biggest mistake we see is what we refer to as “Missing the Beat!”
When we train entry teams, regardless of the type of team; law enforcement, military or other, we will ask them (assuming they already know how-to perform a Dynamic entry) to stack up and show us an entry. We do this because nine out of ten times their Team Leader, or someone else, will tell us that they have this down and we don’t need to spend time on this, but they rather get to the good stuff.
One way or another, (sometimes it requires the promise of BBQ and root beer, if they can do a flawless entry) we get them to stack up and show us their stuff. Let’s pretend you are there with us as a Group Espada Instructor. You have your cool Group Espada logowear on, your awesome Native Wear sunglasses and are brandishing the typical arms folded “this is going to be good” swagger.
The entry team is told they can start from the stacked position and perform a physical breech. Their Team Leader knows we are watching and looking for the tiniest detail, after all, their pride is on the line as well as some darn fine BBQ. The team stacks up tight, bodies in a spring off position, weapons ready and each man/women hand-on the man in front of them. The Team Leader, satisfied with the formation and the readiness, does a last safety check. They then issue the command over the TacNet “Go Go Go!”
The Breecher breeches, the team moves in rapidly, as if they are a serpent, soon after we hear the shouts of “Clear - Clear - Clear” emanate from inside the structure. The TacNet comes alive once again “Structure secure and ready to handover.” You cup your hands to your mouth and yell “Evolution completed - Evolution completed - safety your surroundings, weapons, gear and minds!”
The team meanders out of the house, broad smiles, some high-fiving and make their way over to the safety zone, where Bossman, you and I are standing. They are beaming, one of the operators says “So what up B? You might want to start donning an apron and get to smoking my BBQ, because we just smoked that entry!” Everyone laughs, well everyone except Bossman.
“Funny. Very funny! You guys did good, really good. Are you guys fans of Rush?” Bossman asks the team at large.
“Rush?” one of them inquires.
“Yeah, you know Rush. 2112, Tom Sawyer, Canadian rockband?”
“Yeah, we like Rush” replies the Team Leader.
“Well then where is my Neil Pert?” inquires Bossman
“You can’t have Rush without a damn Neil Pert. You guys take a perfectly good band and mess it all to hell because you left out the Neil Pert. What’s more you owe me a damn BBQ!” Bossman turns to you and says “splain it to them Getty.”
All eyes are on you as you clear your throat and realize you better get this right. It’s your first chance to earn their respect, without bruising their egos and the other Espada Cadre present. “Well, uh..” you stammer, “you missed the beat!”
“The what?” asks the Team Leader.
You go on to explain that when the team entered the structure, everyone entered at one time, with no part of the team waiting for the beat. You further explain how the beat, is a three to five second pause, by at least two team members, before they enter and follow the rest of the team. Those two team members, typically the Team Leader and Team Medic, will quickly evaluate the situation upon entry, immediately provide support to the active threat side or if none exists, identify any overlooked threat, scan for injured or down teammates and coordinate next steps.
The “beat” concept was first, to the best of our knowledge, instituted by the U.S Army Delta Force in the 70s and somewhere along the line has been widely forgotten. We also have seen Australian SAS and Israeli Shayetet 13 employ this tactic, so we will leave it to all of you to debate who actually created this method. We are not sure why this “pause” has been removed from much of the Dynamic entry curriculum today, but we are sure that there will be many who advocate that the only way to do a Dynamic entry is to get everyone inside as fast as possible. In fact we have heard instructors yell “you are a snake boys and girls, move as one big body and get inside!”
The other reason we believe teams are not taught the “beat” is due to the use of distraction devices or tactics, where you have a few seconds to get inside while the occupants are distracted. We would suggest though, that even when using distractions, you should employ the beat and not get every member across the transom as quickly as possible.
We can’t think of an instance where not employing the beat, increases your odds. In speaking to Operators who have been injured or shot during an entry, they will typically state “if I would have just waited a second...” Obviously you can’t eliminate all threats, but you can try minimize them and if the worst happens, your team is ambushed on entry or something else goes wrong, you need to have immediate cover and potentially evacuation, which the beat concept provides.
We hope you find this information useful and we don’t believe our way is the only way. At the end of the day, you need to decide what is right for you and your teams. We are always open to learning, but sometimes the old ways are the best ways.
Homework:
In this article we purposefully included three other common mistakes that we see and have become part of common Special Tactics culture. See if you can spot them and then look below for the answers.
Common Mistakes/Myths
Hand on the person in front of you - we see this as a big no-no!
Only yelling "Go go go!" over the radio to launch the team.
Not distingushing between "evacuation" and "exfiltration"
No good BBQ reciepes or team songs.
The Good Stuff
In the article we mention that teams that come to us, often want to skip to the "good stuff" and you might be wondering, "What is the good stuff?"
The good stuff includes things like -
Non-Standard Structure Entries (Trains, Buses, Tractor Trailers, Horse Trailers, Farms, Barns, Boats, Planes, Hangars, Schools, Hospitals, etc.)
Alternative Tactical Vehicles (ATV, Snowmobiles, Boats, Pickup Trucks, Tractor Trailers, etc.)
Counter-Ambush/Counter-Assault
Gauntlet Training
Wilderness Tactical Training (Training in non-urban areas, such as woodlands, mountains, parks, etc.)
You can learn more about these and all our training by e-mailing us at info@groupespada.com
On Training:
In the article we gave you some hints on how we train others, here are some take-aways:
"Safety your surroundings, weapons, gear and minds!” - We feel it is important that you don't just safety your weapon, but your gear and your mind. This is important and learning to quickly wind down from a high-stress situation and get back to a level state. If you study the statement "safety your surroundings, weapons, gear and mind" - you will discover there is a tactical lesson to exactly how that sentence is constructed.
Safety Zone - A location where all weapons must be safe and you are there to talk and debate. A place where everyone goes to if something goes wrong, until the all clear is given.
Humor - We take things very serious, except ourselves.
