Thinking Man's Corner

Article by: William G.

My, my, my, my. What a wicked web we weave, when at first weave a wicked web. So there I was, in front of the entire command staff of a multi thousand man agency, and an observer from a literal Tier One Counter Terrorist Unit. I was called in do perform a shooting demonstration due to my perceived expertise. This is old hat as I am in triple digits of performing on demand in front of important people, and am labeled as a “subject matter expert” in this particular specialty. Everything was going great, just as planned, and on schedule. I was shooting exceptionally well, and looked really good doing it (I am incredibly humble too). Then it happened. As I completed a perfect dedicated pair with my always faithful 1911 Commander, I went to a hard guard, and then to holster. Except, I couldn’t find my holster……..

I was in my standard issue of jeans, tennis shoes, and an untucked button up short sleeve shirt. My holster was my constant Milt Sparks Criterion. I’ve worn this combo for years, all over the country. I have tens of thousands of reps skinning that smoke wagon, and then safely putting it up one handed without having to look. But today, my holster just didn’t seem to be in the same spot, even though it was. I had to look down and consciously walk the muzzle into it. Why? It was not because it was blazing hot with super high humidity (I live in that). It wasn’t because there was a non nonsense crowd that had hundreds of years combined experience sniffing out fakes (though that is exactly what they were). It wasn’t because I was under pressure or stress (I shoot in front of hundreds of professionals every year). It wasn’t for lack of training (over 10,000 hours and a million dollars at this point, seriously).

It was the simple addition of a single item: an ultra light, ultra thin, top of the line ballistic vest in a low vis overt carrier. There have been many times I have thrown that vest on over my standard plain clothes uniform. Both on the job, and on the range. The variable is that, prior to today, I have taken the IWB holster off, and thrown a battle belt on. That single, thin vest was enough of a change to completely alter my entire skillset of holstering concealed without having to look, and finding my holster by familiar movements.

A few months ago, the internet was set ablaze by a female federal agent that couldn’t find her holster after someone tried to assassinate President Trump. Many of my peers cautioned to not rush to judgment, and also that she was reacting under the stress of a situation that precious few will ever experience. What I can tell from the footage is: she was wearing a concealed vest under her shirt. She was using an open top kydex holster with a forward cant, higher than her hips (which make it where she was drawing into her rib cage-thus having to holster in the same odd angle), and forward of 3 0’clock (which with a forward canting holster only works for me and Mr. Seagal). Be clear, in no way am I defending her lack of performance, or making excuses for her. These are just facts of the images.

Should she have had more training? Yes. Has she done much practice with a concealed vest, that holster, and a cover garment? Most likely, no. Has she ever been in a situation like that before? Definitely not. People expect law enforcement, and especially a presidential protection detail to be cyborgs, but reality is we are all just human. Why she was on the detail, whether she wanted to be on the detail or not, whether she had the skills and training to be on the detail – none of it is really relevant to the fact that the circumstances of extreme life altering stress that can’t ever truly be replicated in training-though close we may come, and slight variances in layers of tolerance stacking of support gear, can cause major issues.

Change one minor thing, and the whole show collapses. You can do the same thing over and over, but when a variable you are not prepared for happens, then it’s like batting left handed (assuming you are correct handed). This is why I do not recommend carrying your duty gun slightly forward of your hip, and your off duty gun in you pocket. Why I recommend dropping mags on the ground instead of placing empty ones in your pocket to avoid bending over or getting them dirty. Why I recommend non-diagnostic malfunction clearance. Doing the same thing over and over is important to have something to recall under duress.

If you change something, check it before betting your life on it. Add something to a gun, shoot it before you trust it. Change holsters, belts, shirts, or other garments and support equipment from what you normally use – check it to see if something interferes. Some of this seems so very simple, yet we often give it little thought. Be slow to judge others. Instead, look at it in a reasoned manner, and learn from other’s mistakes so you do not repeat them. Assign blame where blame is due, but don’t be more harsh than needed.

All that training, and a piece of fabric less than 3/4″ ambushed me. Careful about judging from the peace of the quarterbacks bench or getting too comfortable in your own ego, all the while Charlie is growing stronger in the jungle. You keep slipping, and he will slip your throat.

You never know when you may do something to that turns you into an internet meme, or look stupid in front of the command staff and a modern day Jedi, though they didn’t see my mistake due to how I bladed my body to them, but I guess I just told on myself…………