Wrapping Up Bodyguard Training 101

Wrapping Up

This is part two of a two-part blog wrapping up Bodyguard Training 101. If you haven’t read the first piece, I highly recommend it before tackling this one. It will make a lot more sense that way.

Threat Analysis

One of the big parts of training, next to doing an advance, is conducting a threat analysis. Before we can implement a plan to protect the client, we have to know exactly who’s after him and why. Is he a politician or a whistleblower? If he is you’re probably looking at an assassination attempt. Is he/she the son of someone very wealthy? Now you’re looking at kidnapping as your most likely threat. If he’s an actor or a rock star, it might be some crazy stalker, overzealous groupie, or paparazzi.

There’s a lot more that goes into these than meets the eye, and lest I violate op-sec, I won’t go into more detail.

Driving Skills

There’s a whole set of skills that go with driving and driving in a motorcade. The driver must be specifically trained in how to drive the car under duress. That requires specialized training in handbrake turns, J-turns, running roadblocks, pit maneuvers, and so on. The vehicle itself might have certain modifications to make it suitable. Driving in a convoy also involves specialized techniques. You don’t want to get separated, and chase vehicles can pave the way for the principal’s car. Our company used a decoy bus in Brazil when protecting Gloria Estafan, which proved to be a wise move. (the decoy bus got hit).

Ballet

Nope, not the kind you’re thinking about. Depending on whether there’s 1 person looking after the boss, a 4 man box, or 20-plus team members, everyone has to coordinate when moving. Who goes through the door first, and who takes his place? How they move up to the vehicle upon arrival at a venue. How do they embus and debus? What about knowing where to stand in relation to the boss when going up or downstairs? We had to practice this ad-nauseam, so it’s flawless when on the job.

Etiquette

I was invited back to the following course to teach a module on the commercial factors of executive protection. That not only included how to prepare a resume but how to find work. What about the sort of gear you should turn up with and how to tie a tie? Can you eat in a five-star restaurant without embarrassing the boss? I know of one guy who drank the finger bowl, thinking it was soup. There were others who wanted to tuck their napkin into their collar. The best protection agents blend in, and making these sorts of gaffes in a high-end establishment makes you stand out. Not good.

Shooting

The bit that everyone thinks we do all the time to get out of trouble. We were on the range every day, and to pass, we had to surpass the Secret Service standards. Unlike shooting a handgun in the military or in a regular range, we had to practice drawing from a strong-side holster worn under a suit coat or blazer. Once we mastered that, we had to do it while walking as part of the team and also while protecting the client. Another fun exercise was in a killing house with a .38 snubbie filled with wax bullets doing shoot/don’t shoot scenario training. I’m happy to report I won the shoot-off on the final day.

Potential Dangers

Lofty did a brilliant course on booby traps, and it was mind-boggling to witness the speed at which he wired up a room to blow up the searchers. Given 22 SAS’s extensive operations in Northern Ireland, it came as no surprise that he knew so much about booby traps and bombs. We also covered various other methods of assassination, including the recognition of letter bombs and various poison agents that could be used against the boss.

Putting It All Into Practice

Every day that we drove from our classrooms and living quarters to the range was a chance to start putting stuff into play. Someone would be designated VIP for the day and identified by wearing a bright orange safety vest. Everyone else would be given the task of either protecting the VIP or trying to take him out. We had to deal with roadblocks, bombs strapped to the vehicle, and shooting squads popping out of the bushes at stop signs. On another occasion, we stopped at a small store in the countryside ostensibly so the VIP could buy a snack. What we only found out too late was that the young daughter of the store owner was a stooge. She’d walk around the store while the VIP was inside, and because she was a kid, we all ignored her while looking for lurking hired killers. With ice cream cone in hand, she’d tap him, and when he turned to see what she wanted, she’d shove the ice cream in his face, much to the chagrin of his protection team.

Certification

It all came, sadly, to an end after about ten days. It culminated in an all-day exercise (remember Barry?), that involved taking the boss from our dormitory all around the town of Shropshire and then to the range to inspect a property. At every turn, some curve ball would come our way that we had to deal with. After endex was called, we ended up on our last night getting our certificates of completion and a review of our strengths and weaknesses.

Effective

It’s a testament to Dennis and Lofty’s training that after the Legion, my first job was with a bunch of Brit Military Police officers who’d gone into the private sector. The MPs had taken over the role as primary VIP protection agents for the crown from the SAS after the latter got stretched too thin doing protection work. One had formerly protected the British ambassador in Beirut, and he refused to believe I hadn’t been in the Aussie SAS or trained by a government somewhere. Sadly the course is no more, and, despite having done several others, none have compared to that one.