18Sept04

News from Brazil:

"Last Tuesday (14 Sept 04), forty-six Brazilian policemen, traveling via bus to a sports competition, were stopped and fleeced at gunpoint by four, armed robbers. The bus carrying the ALL UNARMED police officers was headed to the city of Salvador in Bahia when two cars carrying the robbery suspects force d it to stop on the main highway. Robbers took cameras, cellular phones, and wallets. Officers are lucky to be alive.

When boarding the bus, the police officers were told that there was no need

for them to have guns, as this was not a job-related event. Apparently, someone forgot to tell the robbers!"

Lesson: Once again, any time someone tells you that you're in a =9Csafe place, " reach for your pistol! Resist the pressure to be stupid just bec ause everyone else is.

/John

18Sept04 John Newman's excellent article on DTI's Instructor Courses is now posted on our Web Page at _http://www.defense-training.com_ (http://www.defense-training.com) . Informative and well written. /John

18Sept04

From a friend currently in Baghdad:

"There are six rules here (Baghdad). You won't read them in any manual, but I personally indoctrinate every newly arriving trooper thus:

1. Never establish a pattern. Continuously frustrate the enemy's expectations. 2. Never be unarmed. When necessary, carry concealed, but always have a gu n and a blade on you. 3. Never give up. Never give in. 4. Nice guys are a dime a dozen. Daring, decisive, and caring leaders are priceless. 5. Know the locals. Know your beat. 6. Know when to act contrary to orders.

THE BEST MEDAL IS A SMILE ON THE FACE OF A LIVE COMRADE."

Comment: It can't be said too often: Leaders who genuinely care abou t their men are followed anywhere, without question and without hesitation. And, they make history! Soldiers not cared about, and supervised by the fearful and detached, invariably function like a disorganized hoard of tourists.

/John