Your combat philosophy, will dictate your strategies which in turn will dictate your tactics which in turn will dictate your techniques must be adaptable, our lives are in constant motion and any form of combat is always in a fluid state, constantly changing, if you cannot adapt to these changes either instantly while in combat or beforehand when you have time to plan for future events however near or far down your timeline they may be then you may end up having a very bad day.
As I have said in the past everything we do, everything we wear, everything we use kit wise has to be combat effective. We deployed for the 1991 Gulf War one Monday morning, the Friday befor with no idea we were being deployed we embarked on a week long exercise, off the wagons and into waist deep snow, everyone packed and ready for the cold wet winter environment, one day into the exercise we were recalled told to go home, see our families, get back kit re-packed ready to move out to the Gulf. Straight off the plane, briefed, orientated and onto ops, combat effectiveness still needed to be maintained within these environments without compromising the integrity of the units combat philosophy regardless of how we were feeling.
Belize Central America.14 hour flight on a Tri-Star kitted up. We landed, personal kit went into a trailer, we went straight into the jungle, it put down two months worth of rain in one day, torrents of water running past us up to our thighs, lost two stone in weight and have never sweated or stunk so much in my life. You still have to deal with your combat effectiveness, there should be no compromises in any situation, it's your life we are talking about.
My job today is as an executive protection operator. Two years ago near the end of my off rotation it was -25 degrees at night and -15 at mid-day, there I am lying in a trench at home well into the minuses fixing a frozen burst water pipe. That week I looked the michelin man,wearing so many clothes and heavy jackets and still finding it difficult to get warm and move around, never mind
having to be mentally and physically ready to be effective if I found myself in a combat situation. Two days later I am back at work, it is now 40 degrees and I am in Rio, Brazil with journeys into the countryside and a possible trip up the Amazon to contemplate. Once again off the plane and straight onto ops after a 14 hour flight, not only needing to be combat effective if required but more
importantly being switched on and aware of my surroundings while dealing with fatigue and a total weather shock to the body.
It does not matter what your actuality is, your combat philosophy has to fit what you do but also has to be able to adapt to any situation you may find yourself in. Environments change, enemies change, threats change, you change, so don't be too fixed in your ways. As a famous man once said 'Be like water'
Stay Dangerous
Rock