SEAL Survival Guide (15 page)
Read SEAL Survival Guide Online
Authors: Cade Courtley
In a closed environment, and depending upon the proximity of the shooter, you cannot trust your ears to determine the direction of gunfire. Gunfire will cause a deafening echo, and you might be hearing what the bullet has hit rather than where it came from. Since smokeless gunpowder is used in modern ammunition, the best way to determine the shooter’s location is to look for muzzle flashes. These emanate only from the weapon and clearly tell you to move in the opposite direction.
MOVEMENT TECHNIQUES
Generally you will use the
low crawl
method, which involves pushing with your toes and pulling with your fingers, inch by inch if necessary, keeping you flat to the floor and out of range.
When you see the opportunity, you might use what’s called the
high crawl
, lifting your belly only inches from the floor and moving on your knees and elbows.
COVER VS. CONCEALMENT
Cover is defined as something that will stop bullets, such as a concrete wall or a large potted plant. Concealment may hide you, but it will not stop bullets. For example, if you’re outdoors, a rock is cover, while in contrast, a bush offers concealment. In a shopping mall, a rack of clothing could be used for concealment. Whatever you choose as cover or concealment, avoid bunching up with too many people. In these circumstances, people huddled together will create a larger and more attractive target; a single bullet can penetrate several people.
GET FARTHER FROM THE X
After you’ve found initial cover, you’ll want to still continue to move
away
from the shooter, going from cover to cover. Make a visualization of the path you will take; this will help you to set your mind to achieving small goals or little victories, as each move takes you farther from the X. For example, you see a potted plant fifteen feet away. Your goal is to make it to that point, and thus you gain one more little victory in the overall plan to escape. Once you make it to that secure cover, you follow your path, determined to get to the next goal point. At first, get between covers by making small bounds. As you gain distance from the shooter, you can increase the distance you travel between covers. You must start by low-crawling, but note that the farther away from the shooter you are, the faster you can move, until even sprinting if the situation warrants it. With assault rifles having a maximum effective range of six hundred meters, or six football fields, and with sniper rifles even hitting targets much farther, you should always remember that if you can hear gunfire, you can be shot. You must continue to act with maximum purpose and calculated caution.
BULLET PENETRATION
The three most common weapons used in an active-shooter situation are a handgun with nine-millimeter rounds; an AK-47, or similar weapon, which uses a 7.62 x 39 millimeter round; or a twelve-gauge shotgun with 00 buckshot. Bricks, concrete, medium-to-large trees, or several layers of wooden boards will stop all of the above rounds from penetrating. However, the typical wall of a house or apartment (made of plywood, two-by-four-inch studs, and drywall) will not. Neither will the aluminum body of a car. In a mall, for example, the usual potted plants have concrete containers that will effectively stop the aforementioned ammunition. A mailbox will not. In SEAL team, when we needed to take cover behind a vehicle, we tucked behind the wheels. The tires at the front end of the car are better, since the engine block and axles provide additional fortification and make it a good cover.
DECOYS
Sometimes, simply tossing an object, such as a coin, in the opposite direction from your path will divert the typical nervous shooter. When he turns his weapon in that direction, use this time to traverse the danger crossing. If available, a fire extinguisher can be activated and rolled toward the shooter. Use the safety pin in the handle to keep the trigger engaged by positioning it vertically, or wedge a hard credit card in the handle space. This will keep the extinguisher’s foam in a constant discharge, which will serve as an excellent smoke screen.
