Civvy’s Golden Rule of Tactical Movement

Know what is on the other side of a threshold before you pass through it.

Read that again. Know what’s on the other side of a threshold: a door you’re about to pick open, a room you’re getting ready to clear with your firearm, the dark parking lot of the mall. Know what exists in those areas before you pass the threshold into them. We have all been taught this principle since kindergarten. Firefighters visited our classrooms and instructed us kids to always feel the door for heat before opening it. If the door feels hot, there’s fire on the other side and we need to find a different way out. Know what’s on the other side of the threshold before passing through it.

The exact same basic principle translates all the way up to advanced room clearing. The foundation of clearing a structure room by room is working your angles and slicing your pie. The speed at which you do so is determined by the resources you have available. If you have a whole team behind you, you can progress at a normal pace. If you’re the first officer on scene to a school shooting, you’ve got your work cut out for you and will be moving much slower. But the principle never changes. You work the threshold, each and every threshold, until you know what is on the other side of it.

If you’re reading this newsletter, you are probably interested in covert entry. The golden rule is especially critical in this context. We’re not talking about lock sport or hobby picking, but actual covert entry. The requirement of being covert implies the existence of an adversary. Getting caught by the adversary can come at a severe cost. Successfully loiding an exterior door is actually a failure if it triggers an alarm that you weren’t aware of. Picking that Medeco isn’t a win if you accidentally picked the broom closet instead of the server room. Scaling a fence like a ninja is great until you cross over right into view of CCTV cameras you missed. You must know what lies on the other side of the threshold. How do you manage this in the context of covert entry? It’s simple: Do Your Homework. Nowadays we have more tools at our disposal than ever before. Do your OSINT. Find the virtual tour online. Study pictures from the employee holiday party on Facebook and take notes on the infrastructure. Go to the bar and work some social engineering on the maintenance guy. Complain about those pesky alarm sensors you’re always having to tweak at your facility. Prime him to talk about the issues at his facility. Get real time aerial footage with your drone. Invest in some cameras, binos, monos, etc. Your covert entry loadout isn’t a covert entry loadout unless it includes observation tools. The preparation before an entry should consist of 99% of your total time on the job. Know your thresholds. Have them mapped. Know what comes before and after them.

Covert entry is about so much more than just getting in, it’s about knowing what you’re getting into. Remembering Civvy’s Golden Rule of Tactical Movement will keep you on the right track. Know what is on the other side of a threshold before you pass through it.

Stay sneaky.