So I spent the day today in a Force on Force training class. However this was the first time the class brought kids into the various scenarios in the shoot house (not actual kids but role players acting as your kids).
That was actually the first time I’ve done Force on Force where “my kids” were involved…made me really think on a different level of them being “my mission.” I found I was: more likely to place my hand on my gun and/or draw to low ready when I felt a threat, focused on getting them the heck out of there and leading them to safety out of the scenario area vs potentially helping other victims potentially being attacked and made more “rash” decisions to get to “my kid” vs being strategic/tactical to try and stop the threat.
Any of you experience this in training when loved ones (or actors portraying the role) are involved?
It is a big difference when there are kids involved in a force on force situation. Your reaction time in defending yourself becomes slower because you are more concerned about protecting your kids. As parents we are more likely to take a bullet for your children than for anyone else. You may also become distracted when it comes to situational awareness because they become your first priority. If the scenario would have just been you, you would only have to worry about yourself. It is hard to be strategic and think tactically in the above situation/scenario. The scenario is not far fetched and is very realistic to something that can actually happen the way the world is nowadays. I recommend this type of training to all responsibly armed citizens. In my time in the police department we trained like this but they called it the funhouse. The instructors gave us the scenarios and we entered with a partner. At first everyone of us got killed but that is how we learned through real life situations.
Lol, one of the scenarios involved a narrow hallway, and during the session I got hit right in the chest…and I thought smooth move dumb a$$ now you’re dead and your kid is still in danger/dead…be smarter!
In such situations one thing is important - your kids are safe as long you are alive. Even you are going to protect loved ones, you have to concentrate on yourself.
If you are dead, your protection is no longer in place.