Paul R. Howe - Leadership and Training for the Fight: Using Special Operations Principles to Succeed in Law Enforcement, Business, and War

LEADERSHIP
AND TRAINING
FOR THE FIGHT

LEADERSHIP
AND TRAINING
FOR THE
FIGHT

USING SPECIAL OPERATIONS PRINCIPLES
TO SUCCEED IN LAW ENFORCEMENT,
BUISINESS, AND WAR

MSG PAUL R. HOWE

U.S. ARMY, RETIRED

Skyhorse Publishing

Copyright 2011 by Paul R. Howe

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Howe, Paul R.
Leadership and training for the fight : a few thoughts on leadership and training from a former special operations soldier / by Paul R. Howe.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-1-61608-304-5 (alk. paper)
1. Leadership--Handbooks, manuals, etc. 2. Command of troops--Handbooks, manuals, etc. 3. Tactics--Handbooks, manuals, etc. I. Title.
UB210.H68 2011
658.4092--dc22

2011008333

Printed in Canada

I would like to dedicate this book to the following:

MY WIFE has helped me carry my rucksack through life with unwavering support and dedication. Without her consummate stability, I could not have made this journey with the success I have found.

THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO SERVE IN OUR ARMED FORCES. The army provided me a home where I could learn and grow for a great part of my life. It pushed me to improve and Special Ops gave me a home to grow. Special thanks go to the noncommissioned officers (NCOs) who set the bar and taught me to push farther and faster with greater precision, not because it was required, but because it was the right thing to do. I am also grateful to them for affirming the importance of doing what is right versus what is popular.

THE LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMUNITY is the glue that holds our country together. Generally underpaid, undertrained, and overworked, they continue to protect and serve for the right reasons.

CONTENTS

NOTE TO READER

O UT OF COURTESY to my former unit and their sensitive nature, many of my descriptions are referred to as Special Operations. I have attempted to sanitize this work as much as possible. Having said this, all the incidents I describe here are as accurate as I can recall. Also, remember that my perception is based on my cumulative experiences in the military and in the law enforcement community. My view may vary from that of others, and my expectations of an individual or a unit may weigh in on this. A former commander often said, To whom much is given, much is expected. I have grown older and wiser over the years, gaining a bit more insight into and understanding of combat leadership. With that said, I try not to judge soldiers on an individual action; rather, take a comprehensive look at their training, leadership, and their individual hearts.

In addition, I have also laid out my opinions for the best way to structure high-risk tactical courses in this book. I have developed these courses throughout my years of instruction with combat shooting and tactics (CSAT). While I describe various techniques, I will limit any description of tactics as the bad guys have a tendency to study our work. Sometimes, I will be generic, and it will be so on purpose.

I will also describe some near misses and training accidents in this work. This is not to demean or cast a shadow of doubt over those involved. It is necessary to learn from our mistakes. If we cover them up, they will be repeated at the same price the loss of a human life. My goal is to always provide safer and more efficient training techniques to fix the problem. These safety techniques will come through a logical stair-stepped methodology.

PREFACE

A FTER GIVING IT much thought (and with a little practical experience), I have come to the conclusion that our society or way of life will not come to an end because of a natural disaster or at the hands of a superior enemy, but rather through a lack of leadership and initiative on our part. Leadership is what has made our country great, and what will break our country if enacted poorly.

Leadership permeates all folds of military, law enforcement, and tactical training operations. Generally, success or failure of the mission can be tracked down to either a leadership genius or void in the selection or training of the personnel at the individual, team, or organizational level of the tactical element. Leadership is not rocket science. Positive leadership requires only that the leader follow simple and common-sense rules and practices to ensure the success of an assigned mission.

I have been prodded over the years by friends, students, and colleagues to write a book on my thoughts and experiences. I hesitated initially for security reasons, but I also felt that Mark Bowden did an exceptional job of tying together all the individual and leadership actions in his book Black Hawk Down . These were actions that military leaders at the time attempted to sweep under the carpet to avoid the political fallout. Also, I hesitated because I had doubts in my writing ability; I wasnt confident I could put together my material in a comprehensive and easy-to-understand package.

I eventually gave in and decided to embark on this endeavor head-on. More importantly, I believe I now have enough experience and understanding to write in a clear and focused manner. Throughout the writing process I have kept in mind the words of an old friend, former Secret Service agent Carl Kovalchik: I am not trying to learn new stuff; I am just trying to remember what I have.

With that, I want to try and capture the focus and aggression I had as a younger man and not try to reinterpret it as that of a kinder-gentler middle-aged exaction guy. I knew that when I started this project it would be a work in progress, as is life. I will reference sources in this work that I deem accurate and viable and inspired and helped me in my learning process and survival. I will use a great deal of my life experiences that I can recall and, where relevant, discuss my mind-set and how it helped me survive. I have found that your mind-set plays a key point in action, interaction, understanding, and development. As I get older, I find that I have gained a clarity of thought and the patience to put my thoughts down on paper. By writing this book, I have been able to recapture that which escaped me as a younger man, when testosterone and excess energy tended to get in the way of clear communication.

This book tackles leadership and training on two fronts. Part I discusses how to identify, build, and utilize the skills that will allow individuals and teams to efficiently and effectively achieve their goal. Part II focuses on training methods and techniques that will allow those same individuals and teams to practice effective combat and leadership skills in the field.

Why write on leadership? Too many times in our lives, we encounter ticket-punching ladder climbers and those who seek the role of leader for the wrong reasons. Whether its politics or the military, many times we find the system skewed by leaders who wish to guide men but have cheated in their own lives and experiences. Many are self-serving cowards who climbed over good people to attain their goals. Poor leadership in the business world will cost you time and money. In the military and law enforcement world, it will cost the lives of our mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters.