Basic Situational Awareness

We all fall into complacency sometimes — doing the same thing, driving the same route every day. As a member of the Air Force, you need to be more aware of this and more flexible.

How prepared are you for any situation? What would you do? Your resilience and self-control will be tested. The decision to be mentally and physically prepared for anything is the key to protecting yourself and others.

This section covers self-defense, mental preparation, pre-violence indicators, special warning signs of sexual assault predators, reacting to sudden threats, and basic situational awareness safety tips.

Overview

Objective: Identify basic facts and general principles about intermediate Airmanship fundamentals.

Learning Outcomes

• Define self-defense and apply the information to influence actions and decisions.
• Recognize how maintaining your composure with communication skills, physical presence, and actions make you a challenging target.
• Identify elements of mental preparation used to control your emotions for survival in violent situations.
• Recall common pre-violence indicators used to adapt to situations and minimize becoming a victim.
• Describe key factors of reacting to sudden threats; adapting behavior and strategies to suit the situation.
• Identify situational-awareness safety tips to reduce chances of becoming a victim.

Foundational Competencies

• Decision Making — Makes well-informed, effective, and timely decisions; uses sound judgment to integrate and weigh situational constraints, risks, and rewards.
• Flexibility — The ability to adapt to and work with a variety of situations, individuals, or groups effectively.
• Resilience — The process of negotiating, managing, and adapting to significant sources of stress or trauma.
• Self-Control — The ability to keep emotions under control and to restrain negative actions when under stress.

Summary

• Self-Defense
• Mental Preparation
• Pre-violence Indicators
• Special Warning Signs (Indicators) of Sexual Assault Predators
• Reacting to Sudden Threats
• Situational Awareness

Self-Defense

Self-defense is the manner or tactics a person uses to peacefully alter a hostile situation.

The purpose: defend yourself at close range against a physical assault without using traditional weapons or handheld devices. This involves:

• Being aware of your surroundings.
• Recognizing pre-violence indicators.
• Practicing anticipated reactions.

How you carry yourself may determine whether you're viewed as an easy or challenging target.

Self-defense is accomplished by combining your communication skills, physical presence, and actions.

Communication is more than just your words or WHAT you say. It also includes voice qualities, gestures, nonverbal cues, and body movements. Be mindful of HOW you communicate — 93% of messages are received and interpreted based on HOW something is said rather than on WHAT is said.

If an individual becomes verbally hostile, your goal should be to professionally redirect the other person's behavior using your communication skills. Along with communication, use your physical presence and actions. If communication fails to defuse a violent situation, you may need to use appropriate self-defense measures.

Mental Preparation

Mental rehearsal, practice, and your readiness level can mean the difference between escaping or dying from sudden violence.

Three main elements for dealing with treacherous attacks:

1. Mentally rehearse different scenarios — calms you down and keeps you focused if attacked.
2. Practice your reactions and responses — they become automatic.
3. Ensure your readiness level is at its peak — both physically fit and mentally prepared.

When a person is mentally prepared, survival is not the issue and the focus is on winning. A person greatly increases their odds of surviving a dangerous encounter with adequate mental and physical preparation and the determination to defeat hostile threats.

Pre-violence Indicators

Pre-violence indicators are signals that alert you to possible violence. Most violent episodes have indicators that make the victim feel uncomfortable or uneasy. These indicators are often referred to as your gut instinct.

Pre-violence indicators serve as warnings of possible attack and may give you time to plan an escape or prepare for self- defense. Learn to recognize, trust, and act on these indicators to enhance your protection.

Dangerous attacks can happen to anyone, anywhere, any time — walking, driving, riding a bicycle, or eating at a restaurant. Never let your guard down. Minimize your chances of becoming a victim by:

• Practicing situational awareness at all times.
• Traveling in groups when possible.
• Being prepared to physically and mentally defend yourself at all times.

Common pre-violence indicators

Blocked Pathway

• Obstacles or people suddenly block your pathway or line of travel for no apparent reason.
• The ultimate goal is to reroute you into an ambush.

Copycat Situation

• Another person mirrors your every move.
• You stop, they stop. You speed up, they speed up.
• This behavior is rarely a coincidence.

Sudden Changes

• People around you have sudden changes in their movements.
• Examples: one or more people suddenly stop their activity to follow you, or a group tries to encircle you from different directions.

Unsolicited Conversation

• Be cautious of strangers who approach you to start conversations — many preplanned attacks begin this way.
• Strangers may ask simple questions to draw you in: "Do you have the time? Do you need help with that?"
• If strangers become overly persistent or won't take no for an answer, get away from them. A good Samaritan will leave you alone — someone whose intention is to harm you may not.

Target or Avenue-of-Escape Glancing

• A stranger tries to size you up as a possible target.
• Especially noticeable when a person glances at you several times then quickly looks away.
• The person may be finding an avenue of escape, checking on accomplices, or seeing if the area is clear of police and witnesses.

Indirect Path Approach

• One or more people approach you from behind in your blind spot to stay hidden longer and take you by surprise.

Strangers' Hands are Hidden

• Look at people's hands as they approach (e.g., be alert when hands are in pockets).
• They may be concealing a weapon.

Bumps, Shoves, or Pushes from Strangers

• May be a setup to an attack, fight, or pickpocket attempt.
• Stay calm and get away from the situation.

Absence of People or Police

• Unpopulated areas have a higher risk for violent attacks — especially when combined with other indicators.
• Quickly change your path and head toward crowds or police.

Unusual Automobile Actions

Be cautious of automobiles that:

• Stop in front of, alongside, or behind you for no apparent reason.
• Pass you more than once.

Drunks and Drug Addicts

• Can be dangerous alone or in a group.
• Have an altered state of mind and may become violent — and attack, rob, or hurt you.

Verbal Harassment by a Group

• Tries to confuse or catch you off guard.
• One person distracts (shouting or causing a scene).
• Another (usually a quiet person) attacks when you're not paying attention.

Baiting

• Strangers make obvious attempts to get you to do something.
• Actions of person or group appear suspicious.
• Don't take the bait. Stay calm, keep moving, be ready to react. If others are in the area, move toward them and gain their attention.

Parroting

• Someone keeps repeating what you say, or strangers answer your question with a question.
• Strangers using this behavior are usually trying to target you — be cautious.

Special Warning Signs (Indicators) of Sexual Assault Predators

Everyone should be aware of potential warning signs associated with sexual predators — people who use a wide variety of tactics to have unwanted sex with you.

There is NO specific sex offender profile. They come from all walks of life with different levels of intellect, mental health, socio-economic status, age, and sex. Their behavior can range from extremely nice (to disguise their true intent) to extremely abusive — exhibiting an authoritarian attitude to get anything they want without fear of retribution.

Predators will often "test the waters." If their target doesn't stop inappropriate gradual advances — flirting, inappropriate touching, inappropriate special treatment, laughs at inappropriate jokes — the predator takes that as permission to go further. For this reason, it's important to identify and address inappropriate behavior before it progresses.

The potential indicators and what to do

Indicator 1 — Inappropriately excessively nice and/or overly helpful behavior. Especially noticeable when the help is not wanted and/or initially refused. The perpetrator does this to build trust to disguise their true intent. Sometimes referred to as "sexual grooming" — they gradually groom their target to increasingly trust them as advances become harder to stop.

What to do:

• Trust your instinct. If you don't want the help, decline firmly.
• Don't allow them to make you feel bad for not doing what they want — this is a common tactic.
• If they don't respect your wishes, they're not being polite.
• The sooner you break off the contact, the better.
• Seek help if they won't leave you alone — find other people.

Indicator 2 — Excessively self-centered and calloused behavior. Emphasis is solely on them; they're insensitive to others. Getting what they want is all that counts. Impact on others — feelings, hurt — is of no concern. They tend to be impulsive, aggressive, and show low empathy.

They often go beyond mere selfishness, bordering on:

• "Assumed supreme right"
• "I am all powerful"
• "I am all knowing"

…where they think they're better than anyone else. They may think race, social position, or sex makes them superior, and assume they have the right to take what they want. They act as if the world owes them something. They may express belittling attitudes, nasty-degrading comments, or offensive comments disguised as jokes.

What to do: Discontinue contact and let responsible officials know — police, SARC, your supervisor, first sergeant, or commander.

Reacting to Sudden Threats

Knowing how to react to sudden threats could save your life. Watch for indicators, start planning actions ahead of time, and prepare to react immediately.

Attackers have very calculated plans — they use the element of surprise in hopes you'll be so overcome with fear that you won't resist or be defiant.

Prepare to react immediately

Expect to be attacked and prepare accordingly. Prepare to evade or block the attacker's actions. Be on guard — many attackers will use weapons to instill more fear or further control their victims.

Defy the attacker and continue to resist

Do not believe anything an attacker tells you. In the first few moments of an attack, use strong resistance to make the attacker give up and flee.

If the attacker promises not to harm you as long as you cooperate — do not believe them. Scream and make a scene anyway. In this instance, you have nothing to lose — these actions may help save your life and gain your freedom. Most attackers don't want to attract attention and will flee the scene if attention is called upon them.

Seek escape

Look for an avenue of escape at every opportunity. Try to involve as many witnesses as possible — someone may come to your aid. Your attacker may leave if there are witnesses.

Situational Awareness

Being a victim is never your fault. When traveling in public (in or out of uniform), you can decrease your chances of becoming a victim of violence by following these safety tips:

• Always be aware of your surroundings.
• Travel in groups when possible.
• Be prepared to defend yourself to the fullest — physically and mentally.
• Be cautious of talking about the military with strangers — some people don't have positive feelings about the military and may try to lure you into a confrontation.
• If strangers intentionally start an altercation, walk away from the situation quickly.
• Be aware of HOW you speak — it affects how others react.
• If an attack cannot be avoided, you must protect yourself.

Summary

Mental and physical preparation for any situation will help you and your wingman succeed. If you incorporate the material in this lesson, you can get to a point where you're automatic in certain responses. Always remain alert and expect the unexpected. You never know when you'll be tested.