Carry a Weapon
Carry a weapon daily. If possible let that weapon be a firearm. If you carry a firearm, train with it. Make sure it’s concealed when you carry. If it’s not in a holster, get one, and get a good one.
Look for a holster with reliable retention and a sturdy/secure clip/paddle. Practice with it – draw, clear the holster, get on target, holster.
If you carry a firearm, carry a tourniquet. Keep a trauma kit nearby.
If you are just running to the grocery store and don’t want to trouble yourself with carrying, then stay home and let someone who’s not lazy run your errands.
Carry an extra mag. Carry strong side. Carry a knife, weak side. Check for print/bulge. Be confident in your holster’s fit/retention and don’t give away the fact you’re carrying by constantly “checking” it.
When you reasonably believe it to be necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to yourself or another – draw, clear the holster, get on target, stop the threat with a trigger pull.
GET THIS BRIEF AND 39 OTHER LESSONS IN THE GRAYMAN POCKET READY BOOKLET HERE.
Avoiding Attention in the Urban Environment
BLUF: You can draw unwanted attention to yourself in an urban environment in a lot of different ways, these stem from a variety of stereotypes that as a grayman, you want to avoid. Don’t display any of the below cues.
》CCW/LEO/Military/First Responder/prepared citizen (“shoot me first”, intel target, hate target)
Camo
Military surplus items
Visible paracord
Tactical gear, packs and clothing (branded specifically)
Visible pocket clips
Portable radios (any tech beyond a cell phone)
Morale patches
Hand checking your EDC or weapons
Military or most short haircuts
》Criminal/Thug/Gang (threat to other criminals, could draw LE attention)
Hoodies
Loitering individual or grouped
Small groups specifically of younger men
Tattoos
Aggressive behavior
Hands in your pockets when temps don’t dictate it
》Wealthy (target for robbery)
Jewelry
Fancy clothing
High end cars or devices
》Anxious Behavior (weak, easy target)
Rapid glances
Constant adjusting clothing
Constantly checking your watch
Staring
》Baseline related (outside the environmental norm, stands out)
Clothing that doesn’t match the baseline or weather conditions
Bright colors
Gait/speed that doesn’t match the baseline
Going against the flow of traffic or pushing through crowds
Wearing or not wearing a mask dependant upon norms of the area
》Outside Acceptable Behavior
Public displays of affection
Profanity
Eye contact (too much or too little)
Smiling (Sadly) or frowning
If you are wanting to NOT draw attention to yourself you will want to look at the environment that you are in and limit your appearance and behaviors that don’t fit the baseline. Especially if you are wanting to limit any associations to the groups above.
GET THIS BRIEF AND 39 OTHER LESSONS IN THE GRAYMAN POCKET READY BOOKLET HERE.
Silencing your Phone
BLUF: In hostage scenarios, active shooter events, or home invasions; dialing 911 is necessary but keeping silent is critical.
The last thing you want to do is alert the suspect to your presence/location or the fact you’ve got a phone. Silence the phones notifications, media, & ringtone. Disable the vibration function. Dialing creates sounds with each button press. You may get disconnected from 911 causing them to call you back. Incidents with media coverage could mean your family sees the event unfolding on TV, prompting them to begin to call to check on you. These calls must be silenced.
Stay on the phone with 911, even if put on hold, the information you provide could be vital to responding officers stopping the threat. Even if you can’t talk aloud, there could be background noise or conversations picked up on the 911 recording that could be useful for the investigation or conviction.
Silence your phone. Avoid sounds that give away your position.
GET THIS BRIEF AND 39 OTHER LESSONS IN THE GRAYMAN POCKET READY BOOKLET HERE.
