Behind the Veil - Circuit Magazine -

source: https://circuit-magazine.com/behind-the-veil/

Behind any large delivery service are logistics personnel, without these individuals nothing would move and production would grind to a halt.

Likewise, backing any police force, there are a group of emergency dispatchers that help send, coordinate, and give real time information to responding officers. With airline pilots, there are a team of air traffic controllers that convey critical information to the pilot for a safe flight. And in the same vein, behind Executive Protection Specialist, there may exist a caring spouse, or partner.

What does the other half of an EP professional do? What are they responsible for? How does the team at home prepare, live, adjust, and provide stability, when the EP professional is away from home? How does a spouse or partner deal emotionally?

I thought I’d explore this little discussed aspect of the journey, offering a peek behind the veil if you will. To do so, I wanted to interview the significant other of an experienced protective agent to get the real scope of what they go through. I realized I didn’t really have to look far, as my partner seemed to fit the bill perfectly.

Me: Good morning Emily, thank you for sitting with me today. Ha. So let’s jump right in. What is it like to have your significant other as an EP specialist?

Emily: Having a spouse in the EP profession, quite simply put, it’s hard. It can be lonely, frustrating, and trying, for both the protector and the spouse, and requires good communication to make the relationship work. However, having a spouse in the profession is also extremely rewarding. Knowing that the person you love, is selfless enough to risk their lives for the safety of others, is truly something special. However, even though this type of relationship can feel lonely, I think it does a lot for the relationship to genuinely miss someone, and it allows you to really appreciate their presence in our life when time allows.

Me: Diving a little further, what are some of the hardships associated with having your partner away so much? How directly does it affect the daily harmony of the home?

Emily: Well, spending holidays, birthdays, anniversaries or other special/important events apart would be considered a hardship. I would say, living apart for great lengths of time, and increased day to day stress. It’s important to say that each person carries different stresses. Stresses that you have, pertain to your job and to your clients, and mine are related to the daily up keep, and functioning of our home. Having said that, being open with each other about what is causing the stress can help a relationship last and grow in this profession, In my opinion.

Me: In your opinion, how does a partner/spouse’s help at home ease the stresses on a Protector?

Emily: I believe making their time at home special is one way, do extra around the house so they can enjoy that time at home, let them know you appreciate the sacrifice they are making working, and not being able to come home every night. Most importantly, let them know they are loved and missed by their family.

Me: Do you feel like the EP profession is a noble one? If so, why?

Emily: Extremely. Noble, as defined, is “showing fine personal qualities or high moral principles and ideals”. An agent would be only as good as their word, morals and willingness to sacrifice for the greater good of those they protect.

Me: Speaking of being noble, what character traits do you believe a partner/spouse of an EP professional must have to navigate this profession?

Emily: I think as a spouse, one must be independent, flexible, understanding, patient, and trusting. More often than not, all these qualities will be put to the test during your relationship with an agent, and both must be willing to recognize/fix the areas of weakness in order for the relationship to be successful. Honesty, commitment, and effort must be of equal burden.

Me: Along those same lines Emily, how can or do, those constant deployments effect relationships? And what’s needed in order for those relationships to survive?

Emily: When on deployments, or away on details I should say, it can be at times hard to keep in touch and communicate with your spouse. Different time zones, work/sleep schedules, etc. make it difficult to stay in contact with your spouse and can cause tension in the relationship. The inability to stay in contact can also increase the feelings of loneliness when away for lengths of time. In order to survive, both parties must reassure each other they are missed, loved, and appreciated for their sacrifices, and both must be committed to making the relationship a priority which can be hard sometimes, when “priorities” are different when away, and then when home.

Me: A well-known priority in protection work is safety, how has having a partner/spouse involved in EP made you more security minded? Or has it?

Emily: My head has never been on more of a “swivel” my entire life, haha! In all seriousness, being with an professional protector definitely makes you more security minded. You find yourself changing the way you view a large crowd, looking for the nearest exits at your local movie theater, and sitting with nothing behind you, to ensure a clear view of your surroundings. I can’t tell anyone how many times I’ve done a security sweep of my whole house before bed without even realizing what I’m doing.

Me: What advice would you give a new couple with one party entering into the EP profession?

Emily: Advice to new couples, hmmm, just be sure! This is going to sound blunt but, be sure this is the person you want to be with, and you’re willing to weather the storm with them. If you have never done a long-distance relationship, or already know it doesn’t work for you, don’t get involved with someone who is in, or wants to be in this industry. You will feel lonely, you will question if you “can do this anymore”, you will want to give it up sometimes more than once, you will wish for more time to spend with them, and at times you will feel like there is no light at the end of the tunnel. However, if you are both in it together, you can have a successful relationship the strong will survive.

One thing I was noticed was a reoccurring theme within this interview were the terms commitment & trust, some of the same attributes we use with clients. I’m living proof of this, as without my significant other at home, and the foundation that provides, I believe I would not be able to do my job at the level that I do it. For those who are in a similar situation, I think you will know what I’m talking about and those just coming into the industry, I hope these words help in your journey.

Behind the Veil By Mark Roche EPS

Mark Roche is a US Based, full-time Executive Protection Specialist who works full time with a HNW Family. He is also a FAA Licensed Drone Pilot, specializing in EP related uses, and a graduate of multiple close protection programs.

The post Behind the Veil appeared first on Circuit Magazine.

Tactical Firearms Training – The Basics

If you plan on working internationally in the close protection or security industry you will be expected to some degree to know how to handle firearms. Now, to get things straight to start with, what most people, especially Americans, don’t realize is that most non-government close protection jobs are unarmed due to the legal restrictions on firearms in most countries. Part of your threat assessment for any assignment needs to include the laws on the use of force and what if any weapons are legal in the locations you are going to be working in. Being caught with an illegal weapon, especially a firearm will get you thrown in jail very quickly, no matter how important you think you are! So, what do you need to know about firearms if you are looking to work internationally in the close protection and security industry, well the first and most important thing is knowing how to use firearms safely. To become proficient with firearms, like everything else takes practice and time, you’re not going to become and expert after a few hours’ tuition. Many firearms related accidents happen because those handing the firearms are not complying with the basic firearms safety rules of keep the firearms pointed in a safe direction and keeping their fingers off the guns trigger. If you ensure you always follow these two safety rules, you will be acting more responsibly than many others who are working with and carrying firearms. Remember, if you’re the one holding and in control of a firearm that accidentally discharges and injures or kills someone you will be held responsible. A thorough understanding of firearms and range safety is essential before you even start any shooting with live ammunition. Here is a more complete list of firearms safety rules and considerations. WEAPON SAFETY DEPENDS ON KNOWING YOUR WEAPON, CONFIDENCE, ALERTNESS Safety considerations for firearms must always be followed Always keep firearms pointed in a safe direction, especially when loading and unloading. Keep your finger off the trigger until the weapon is pointed at your target. If the action or slide on the weapon is closed, always treat the gun as if loaded and carry out the unload drills. Always show that a firearm is unloaded to a person before you hand it to them. When someone hands you a firearm, always check the chamber and make sure it is unloaded. Never take a person’s word for whether a firearm is loaded or unloaded, always check! Never point a firearm at anyone just for fun or play games with firearms. Always know what is behind your target and have a good backstop. Only fire-controlled shots. You can rapid fire but make sure you are hitting your target. Always practice tactical drills with unloaded firearms until you’re confident and competent enough to use live ammunition. Always unload firearms before dry-fire tactical training. Only use dummy ammunition or blank-firing firearms for demonstrations or dry-fire drills. Never mix blank, dummy, and live rounds. Always check that the gun is unloaded before cleaning. Never tamper with ammunition, and only use reloads from reliable sources. Never use damaged rounds, and always dispose of them safely. Keep guns and ammunition in secure storage when not in use. If you do not know how to operate or are having problems operating a firearm, get professional help. Never used drugs or alcohol when using firearms. Always check and comply with local firearms law Types of Firearms You should try to train with and get to know as many different types of firearms as possible as you never know what you will come across. You might be working unarmed on an assignment in a hostile environment but you need to know how to use the firearms you might encounter in that environment incase things go bad, say your hotel is attacked, and you might have to use the firearms of the local security, police, military and bad guys or make them safe after an incident. Pistols: The two main classification for pistols are semi-automatic and revolver. Sadly, most people these days tend to only train with semi-auto safe action guns such as Glock and S&W M&P’s etc. You need to know how to safely use revolvers, single and double action semi-autos, single action semi-autos and at least be familiar with derringers and sub-compact pocket pistols. Shotguns: I have heard quite a few supposed close protection experts, usually from police backgrounds dismiss the requirements for shotgun training. The reason for this I believe, is in their limited experience within a government agency they have never had the opportunity to use shotguns or travel to locations where they are used. I have personally working in Europe, South & West Africa, Middle East, US, Caribbean, Latin America and have come across shotguns being used in for security details in all of those locations. I would say shotguns are the most widely used firearm used for legal security purposes globally. Shotguns come in various configurations and you should at least understand break action, pump, semi-auto shotguns and the various types of ammunition and chocks. Assault Rifles: Even though most of the tacticool firearms training videos on the internet put an emphasis of training with AR-15’s and AK-47’s in reality there are not many places you can legally use them for security purposes unless you are in the military, on a government related assignment or working illegally. In Iraq and Afghanistan, the laws were put in place for security guards to carry assault rifles, but in most places if you are lucky enough to legally have firearms there is a greater change of it being a shotgun or a pistol rather than an AK etc. Sporting Rifles: In a lot of countries semi-auto firearms are banned or very restricted and the only legal firearms available will be sporting shotguns and leaver or bolt-action rifles. The only time most tacticool operators will consider learning how to use a bolt-action rifle would be if it was a tricked-out sniper rifle… Well, I am sorry if I offend any tacticool operators reading this but all hunting rifles, even with wood stocks, can be used as sniper rifles and for tactical applications. If someone is trained how to shoot properly, understands individual tactics and is armed with a decent leaver or bolt action .22 rifle, I would class them as far more value than the tacticool shemagh wearing operator who uses optics on their tricked-out AR-15 to hit paper targets at 15 meters… Other Firearms: Depending on where you are planning to work depends on the types of firearms you could encounter; in hostile environments you may need to have the rudimentary knowledge of how to operate belt-fed machine guns. Or, if you’re in an area where hunting is popular it might make sense to learn a little bit about black powder rifles and pistols, which in some places have a lot less restrictions on them than cartridge firing firearms. Tactical Firearms Training I have my own views of firearms training and the state of the firearms training industry but will try to keep them to myself as much as I can for the sake of this article. My basic advice to anyone looking at attending any firearms training courses would be is the course relevant and is the instructor experienced enough to teach it. The best place to get a good grounding in firearms training is in the military as you should be given thorough training, the bullets will be free, and you will also be getting paid for your time. There is no way you can replicate a few years military firearms training experience by taking a two-week tactical firearms course. One issues with those who have only had regular military training is that they are only used to dealing with a limited range of firearms. Personally, I only really started to learn and use handguns other than a Browning Hi-Power after I left the British Army and worked in South Africa, Eastern Europe and then joined a gun club in UK before handguns were banned. You must ensure the training you will be getting is relevant for what your going to be doing and is of a good standard. In the U.S. the general standard for training is what’s put out by the National Rifle Association (NRA). Most people don’t realize when taking a training course from an NRA instructor that it only takes one-day to become and NRA instructor or Range Safety officer. In the United States, it’s easy for a novice shooter to become an NRA firearms instructor, as I said it’s a one-day course, SERIOUSLY! With another one-day course they can become a Range Safety Officer, and after that with another one-day course a Chief Range Safety Officer able to certify Range Safety Officers… All without any experience of ever running a firearms course or any experience of actually working on a shooting range… I have come across NRA instructors who could not field strip their own firearms, Chief Range Safety Officers who had never used revolvers or shotguns. From their certifications you would expect them to be experienced professionals! Well, think again… You cannot gain the experience required to be a decent RSO or instructor by just attending a few theory classes, watch tacticool YouTube videos and belonging to Gung-ho online chat forums. The schools issuing these NRA certifications are making money, it’s business, but how many of their students then go on to market themselves as “firearms experts” after just a few one-day classes? I think this can be classed as fraudulent in anyone’s books. It’s just like taking a first-time driver, giving them a two- or three-day theory on how to drive, showing them a car, starting the engine and then certifying them to set up a driving school… Scary, right? Always verify the real-world experience of the instructors who you’re intending to pay good money for quality training. Firearms training can be very expensive so ensure you’re not wasting your money and understand that after just a few days training you’re not going to be at a professional level, whatever your certificates say! Ongoing dry and live firearms training and weapons familiarization is essential if your serious about working in hostile environments but learn to differentiate the difference between tacticool holidays and experiences and relevant training! Tactical Firearms Training – The Basics The post Tactical Firearms Training – The Basics appeared first on Circuit Magazine.

Why Consider A Career in Executive Protection? - Circuit Magazine -

Newcomers Corner, Why Consider A Career in Executive Protection? written by Harlan Austin for issue 54 of the Circuit Magazine

Weaponising Social Media - Circuit Magazine -

James Bore looks at Weaponising Social Media, conspiracy theories and opportunistic misinformation is misused taken from Issue 54 of the Circuit Magazine

Trunk Guns - Circuit Magazine -

One of the biggest ongoing phenomena is the firearms space is the concept of a trunk gun. Whether it is a handgun, shotgun, or a rifle, firearms are simply tools. When it comes to any tool, you first must ask what is your objective? Let's begin by considering the history or evolution of this phenomenon.

The Importance of Emotional Control in the Workplace - Circuit Magazine -

Denida Zinxhiria Grow looks at The Importance of Emotional Control in the Workplace, a Guide for Executive Protection Operatives from issue 54

Tactical Firearms Training – The Basics

Why Consider A Career in Executive Protection? - Circuit Magazine -

Weaponising Social Media - Circuit Magazine -

Trunk Guns - Circuit Magazine -

The Importance of Emotional Control in the Workplace - Circuit Magazine -

Circuit Magazine

Categories

Social Footprints