Monday, September 26, 2011
Funny Stuff: Panteao Productions Make Ready Bloopers!
Friday, September 23, 2011
Leadership: CrossLead, By The McChrystal Group
Excellent. This is great news that General McChrystal has set up shop with a group like this. Not only that, but the type of leadership training he is providing is very unique and essential for our industry.
Here is the problem we face with today’s PMSC’s. How does corporate communicate and lead all of the various business units and elements of their company, when their company is dispersed globally? Ideally, you would want everyone in the same room and once a day or once a week to discuss, analyze and synthesize the multitude of problems that the company faces. But in our world, that just is not possible. And actually, for many of the large global corporations outside of our industry, this is their reality as well. The question is, how do you connect with your people, and lead a company that is spread all over the world?
So what the McChrystal Group has done here is to develop a leadership system called CrossLead that addresses this problem. How do you lead through an email? How do you inspire and connect with your people via video conferencing? How do you set up your management teams and communications, and how do you leverage technology to actually be a good leader globally? These are some tough questions, but if anyone has any insight as to how to do that, General McChrystal and his team have the experience to do so.
I think this is extremely valuable to PMSC’s, just because this Group understands the complexities of what it is we do. An example would be DynCorp, which has a massive army that includes everything from aviation mechanics and pilots, to police advisers and PSD specialists–just like today’s military. A company like this operates all over the world, and in all of the war zones–just like today’s military. So to me, there is definitely something to be learned here by a master military tactician, leader, and strategist that knows how to leverage today’s technology to deliver the goods.
Below is some information from their website and definitely check out their Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube page for further information. At their Youtube page, you get a taste of some of the training and concepts, and I am sure they will release some stuff in the future. So it pays to subscribe. It also looks like they will be putting on one of their courses at Yale, and if you are interested in implementing CrossLead at your company, definitely give them a call. –Matt
Our Story
McChrystal Group is composed of leadership professionals with a shared background in service. From Navy SEALs to legislative and policy experts, the McChrystal Group brings a wealth of practical leadership experience in running multi-national, multi-agency, culturally diverse, and geographically dispersed organizations. From the battlefield to the boardroom, McChrystal Group has assembled the best leadership practices into a transformational leadership system called CrossLead.The disciplined execution of CrossLead by a committed set of leaders will enable an organization to achieve the following results:
1. Dramatically improved shared consciousness and purpose
2. Faster and more inclusive decision-making
3. Better data and knowledge management
4. Rapid dissemination of best and worst practices
5. Optimized utilization of technology
6. Increased organizational transparency to enable accountability in executionDevelopment Programs
McChrystal Group will fully customize professional development programs to teach business executives and public leaders how to lead and organize networks in dynamic and challenging environments.
Single-day executive leadership program
These events are designed to discuss and relate CrossLead principles with an organization’s leadership team. The scope of work can range from a panel discussion with experienced professionals to facilitating an offsite engagement for key leaders.
Multi-day tailored executive leadership program
McChrystal Group will custom develop programs, including seminars and practical exercises that expose leaders to CrossLead mechanics and processes. The programs can range in size and can be hosted on site or at a destination location.
Comprehensive executive leadership development program
McChrystal Group will work with senior management to custom design a professional development program that challenges leaders to perform in tailored scenarios that best represent the unique requirements of their organization. This program will complement an organization’s professional development goals to include assessing individuals’ performance and potential, as well as team building through immersion in CrossLead principles, processes and mechanics.Team
McChrystal Group is composed of leadership professionals with a shared background in service. From Navy SEALs to legislative and policy experts, McChrystal Group brings a wealth of practical leadership experience in running multi-national, multi-agency, culturally diverse, and geographically dispersed organizations. We are actively seeking the right people to join our growing team.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Mexico: Nuevo Leon To Implement A Citizen-defense Program To Counter The Cartels
The training for people with weapons permits in Garcia is part of a phase of Rodriguez’s security program aimed at “involving the citizens in defense of the region.”
“Many of them want the training and knowledge … to defend their families and their heritage,” he said.
In addition to the weapons course, the project also includes broader training in its “urban defense” goals.
“Imagine if there is someone wounded and no one in the neighborhood knows what to do. It’s happened to us that in the street there is someone who’s been shot and the (paramedics) don’t come,” Rodriguez said.
So far, about 3,000 people from Garcia and nearby cities have signed up for the course, including engineers, teachers, housewives and retired military.
Ok, this is awesome. This is what I have been hoping and praying for in Mexico. The citizenry there needs to realize that they cannot entirely depend upon the police or military to protect them. And the government needs to realize that the citizenry can certainly be an effective tool to counter the cartels. So programs like this are a great start, but they also need to do this right in order to increase their odds of success.
It is also important to note that if you look at the rebels of Libya, that they were once civilians, yet were able to transform into a force that defeated a standing army. With a little motivation and some training/experience, a citizen force can certainly do some damage. The war against the cartels is a righteous war that must be fought and won, and I really think the citizens of Mexico can rally around defeating these scumbags. The people interested in such a program just needs to be empowered by the approval of it’s leaders, and given a little training to be effective.
It would really be cool to take this a step further and send some SF teams down to Mexico and help train these 3,000 folks that have signed up for this program. Or for this town to receive the funding necessary to get a training company down there to help out. If any contractors are looking for a way to contribute to the fight down there, you could probably get in your car and drive to this town and offer your services pro bono?
One thing though that needs to be mentioned about such a program. This is a declaration of war against the cartels. So this program needs to be conducted in an intelligent and secure manner. Training sites or gun ranges will be targets of the cartels. Folks who participate will be targets as well. The cartels will also do their best to infiltrate the program and subvert it, much like what they have done with government or police. So it will be up to the participants of this program to ‘cleanse’ itself of all cartel scum.
It also reminds me a lot of the Soviet Partisan warfare against the Nazis during WW 2. The Soviet’s at the time realized that if citizens are going to fight, that they need a basic ‘how to’ manual to fight and survive in their occupied homeland. These manuals also discussed how to defeat the Nazi anti-partisan forces intending on destroying this civilian threat. But the partisans kicked ass and certainly helped in the overall war effort. The point of all of this is that these partisan forces certainly did a number on the Nazis, and civilians can certainly play an effective role in a war.
Another example of the power of partisan guerrillas is the story of Wendell Fertig in the Philippines during WW 2. This guy was a stud, but he was also just a regular guy and engineer who was caught behind enemy lines when we pulled out of the Philippines. Wendell decided to lead a guerrilla war against the Japanese as a result of his predicament, and he was able to organize and build an effective force with very little. He was highly motivated and a smart problem solver, and his force was able to do some serious damage upon the Japanese.
Mexico needs the same type of innovative and dedicated leaders in their towns and cities to lead a guerrilla war against the cartels. So bravo to Jaime Rodriguez Calderon for taking the initiative and ‘doing something’ about the problem. Hopefully Mexico and the US will support this town in it’s efforts, and identify and help other ‘real’ leaders with similar goals. –Matt
Edit: 08/13/2011- It looks like another town is taking up arms in Chihuahua. Very cool and I hope this spreads! Quote:
“One small northern Mexico community, surrounded by Cartel thugs, is taking matters into their own hands.
The people of Uruachi, Chihuahua have begun to arm themselves in a last attempt to protect themselves against a group of 12 armed men surrounding the community, Mayor Aldo Campos said.”
Mexican city plans to train citizens to fire guns
Javier Estrada
September 7, 2011
Officials in a northern Mexican city plagued by violence say a new course will take a fresh approach toward protecting citizens: Training people to handle and shoot guns.
The aim of the approach, says Garcia Mayor Jaime Rodriguez Calderon, is putting a stop to crime in the 40,000-person city in Nuevo Leon state.
“Many people call me because their son or their husband has been kidnapped, or some family member’s car has been stolen. I said to myself, ‘Wow, how can we, the citizens, defend ourselves,’ ” Rodriguez told CNNMexico.com.
Twice this year, gunmen have tried to assassinate Rodriguez, who has earned the nickname of Bronco for his strong personality.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Job Tips: How To Get Into Security Contracting Without A Military Or Police Background
I wanted to do a post about this subject because of all of the emails I have been getting lately. In the past, I have hinted at this kind of stuff before, but I think now it deserves it’s own post. The top question I get is ‘how do you become a security contractor without any military or police background?’. My top reply is for individuals to join the military or police, and get that background–with an emphasis on the combat arms and duty in the war. That by far is the best route to go, and you will come up against the least amount of friction in this industry as you pursue your career in security contracting.
With that said, there is a way to become a gun carrying security contractor without that four year degree in the combat arms. The loophole I am talking about is to become a paramedic. In my career, I have personally met three security contractors without any military or police background, that got their job as a gun carrying contractor because of their medical qualifications. From PSD work to disaster response to site security work–these non-military/police contractors worked those gigs as gun carrying medical guys. Although not purely shooters, they are armed non-the-less, with an emphasis on their medical qualifications. That is what they were hired for, and they are right along side the guys who were contracted as shooters–much like how a combat medic is used in a military unit.
All three medical contractors I had met, were armed by their company so that they could defend self and/or client. Out of the three I had met, two of them had invested in security/weapons training to supplement their medical certifications so they could be less of a liability in the field. Most of them had to go through the same overseas type deployment spin up course, or similar company vetting to ensure they could operate well with whatever team they were assigned to. But to put it bluntly, paramedics/nurses/doctors are all highly valuable assets to companies, and companies will bend over backwards to get these guys out there on contract, and especially when medical assets are required for a specific contract. A company must look beyond a lack of military or police background with a job seeker to fulfill a contract requirement, just because there isn’t enough qualified medical folks out there willing to do this kind of work.
Which is the one caveat that I tell folks when they pursue this loophole of contracting. I suggest to folks to not only get their paramedic certification, but to also invest in excellent security/weapons training that will at least introduce to them the basics of how to operate out there. I really emphasize the weapons schools because most of the companies will have their medical contractors do a shooting test with the weapon they will be issued in the field as a requirement of the contract. At the least, a contractor should be proficient with a pistol and rifle, and any investment in weapons training will pay off in the long run when you pass that shooting test and get that six figure job overseas.
To take this a step further. If by chance you are able to sign on to the WPS program, you will have to shoot and qualify with some of the belt fed weapons that this program uses. I have even heard of medical officers being used in training to teach the usage of weapons like the AK 47 or PKM on the TWISS program. The point here is that once you get involved as a security/medical contractor, you should expect to be around weapons and know how to use them if you want to be useful and a non-liability to the team. So get some good reputable weapons training, and learn the fundamentals. I suggest CSAT as a an excellent starting point if you are looking for ideas.
Of course you must also maintain your fitness level because companies will require a PT test as per the contract. Keep up to date mentally by following the latest news in this industry through the forums and blogs. You must also ensure your background checks clean for any kind of clearance issues, because in this war, the US government is using the ‘security clearance’ as a means of vetting. So keep your finances in check, keep your nose clean and do not lie on your SF 86 form.
The most important thing though is to maintain your paramedic certification and stay up to date on all the medical protocols. If you are a former 18 Delta or military medic, I still suggest getting the paramedic certification because it will help you to bridge your military experience to the civilian world.
I would even suggest some exposure to military themed medicine (TCCC) for those without a military/police background, through some of the private schools that offer such things. Deployment Medicine International is one such company that I can recommend, and with a search, you can find others. Also, you can learn more about training by talking with other medical contractors via the forums. That is what’s called networking and getting ‘locked on’, which will help you big time in your security contracting career.
Now I am sure there are other ways of becoming a security contractor besides the medical route, and hopefully some folks will put their ideas down in the comments section. But personally, the medical angle is probably one of the best ways that I have seen to accomplish this task. It is also one of those certifications that will be quite useful when you are done doing the overseas contracting game and are wanting to settle back home. You could spend all that money you earned on going to Nursing school or similar, and advance your career in the medical world. The experience you gained as a medical professional in the war zones will also be highly respected back home in the hospitals and ambulances.
The other thing that I wanted to touch upon is that if you are a security contractor with a military or police background, and are wanting to increase your marketability in this industry, then getting a paramedic or EMT certification would be an outstanding move. Even with executive protection gigs, out of two guys with equal shooter backgrounds applying for the same job, the guy that can save the client medically will be of higher value than the guy that does not have any medical experience or certifications. If you want an edge in this highly competitive world of security contracting overseas or at home, get that paramedic certification. To me this is all about being the ‘Useful Contractor‘ and diversifying your capabilities.(Miyamoto Musashi would approve) This one investment could save your buddy or client’s life, it could get you that high dollar contract you have been dreaming about, and it could keep you marketable in a highly competitive industry both CONUS or OCONUS for years to come. Something to think about if you are coming up against a wall in your career path, or wanting to get a foot into the door of this highly competitive industry. –Matt
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Bounties: Koevoet Bounty System During The South African Bush Wars
It was the 1978 brainchild of then Colonel Hans Dreyer (later a Major-General in the SAP) to develop and exploit intelligence and was based on the Portuguese Flechas and the Rhodesian Selous Scouts. Koevoet was based in Oshakati and suffered 153 killed in action and several hundred more wounded. They killed more than 3,681 SWAPO insurgentswhich resulted in a 1:25 or one to 25 kill ratio.
What I wanted to point out here was a very interesting piece of history that I don’t think has really been discussed out there. Maybe Peter Stiff talked about it in his Covert War book, but either way, I thought I would bring it up here and archive it.
This to me is a prime example of incentivizing warfare, and providing a means of competition within a unit for the destruction of an enemy. To create an industry (competition) out of killing your enemy basically. In this case, the Koevoet attached a value to the enemy(killed or captured) and their weapons/equipment, and established a bounty system that all of Koevoet could partake in and supplement their salaries with. The results were stunning.
Koevoet also gets a big mention for it’s innovative war fighting methods, and the proof of concept for applying the Selous Scout model to a different war and in a different country (see below). In other words, this unit would be an excellent study for how this type of counter-insurgency warfare could be taught, and even by a private company. Look at the effectiveness of this stuff in both Rhodesia and SWA and you can see exactly what I mean. –Matt
Koevoet worked on a bounty policy where anything and everything that you brought in had a price on its head. People somewhere around R2,000, large calibre mortars probably a bit more, land mines slightly less and so on, which was a great motivating factor for the combatants and the teams because you could earn double, triple your money. It also meant that score boards were kept and that the teams competed against each other for the most number of kills in a given week in the bush. –Sean Mark Callahan, Page 30 of the TRC, 17th of June, 1997
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Koevoet From Wikipedia
At the time, South Africa saw itself as the only country on the sub-continent that could stave off the onslaught of communism. As such, South-West Africa and its northern border with Angola was the one battleground that South Africa had to control if it was to weaken the Cuban-backed South-West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO).
Rising insurgency
In many countries there is a formal separation of duties between law enforcement and the military. The former is generally responsible for domestic issues while the latter is deployed in defence of the nation. At first this philosophy was adopted in South-West Africa. Guerilla operations inside the country were dealt with by the police. Insurgents were seen as common criminals that should be processed by the criminal justice system. However, insurgents used military equipment which normal police officers were not equipped or trained to deal with. A better armed and better trained unit capable of facing such challenges was established within the South-West African Police (SWAPOL) force.