SEAL Survival Guide (44 page)

If members of the gang attempt to start a conversation, for the purposes of sizing you up, repeat a phrase such as “I have to go.” You
will also want to be alert to avenues of escape and be ready to bypass a gang hanging around a street corner, for example, by moving out of range. Depending on the number of gang members you are confronted by, flight could be the best choice, which will rapidly de-escalate the situation. Chances are they are merely looking for an easy victim and will not pursue. But at all costs, do not let yourself get surrounded or cornered, or get close enough for one of them to grab you. Gangs operate with a pack mentality, which often enables individual cowards to become emboldened when backed by the power of their numbers. You may be a hell of a fighter, but it is extremely difficult to defeat a group of simultaneous attackers. Let them have their space, or whatever they perceive as their territory, even if you have to cross the street or take a longer route to where you were headed.

Punch and Run: Fight and Flight

When physical contact is a foregone conclusion, you need to do everything you can to limit personal injury. Make no mistake: A ten-on-one fight scenario is not only purely defensive, it is one of mere survival. Don’t wait until you are jumped. That is way too late to act. Bolt from the group. You have to do everything in your power to
remain on your feet
and continue moving. Your chances of minimizing injury are far better if you are engaging individuals while on your feet than trying to square off against an entire group, especially if you end up on the ground. Violence of action is a must. However, this is no time to initiate a plan of cleaning up the streets and ridding neighborhoods of the plague of gang violence. Not without community support, at least. In this situation, your violence of action and physical response are used to gain time to get free and escape. Oftentimes, the courage displayed by a group will rapidly dissipate as their numbers thin out. If you drop the right guy, or outrun some of them, the others could give up or quit.

HIJACKING

Unlike wresting control of a vessel from a ship’s captain, which has been going on throughout naval history and still is, taking over an aircraft while in flight is more or less a new form of crime. Between 1940 and 1970 there were only a dozen incidents. From 1970 to 2000, there were nearly sixty such “skyjackings” or “sky-controlling” incidents, or what are now commonly known as hijackings. The motive for ship seizures is usually robbery, but the majority of aircraft hijackings are for political reasons, or to hold passengers hostage as collateral, or to use the plane as a weapon, as was the case in the 9/11 attacks. In most scenarios, the pilot is forcibly made to fly the plane to where the hijackers demand; in only some incidents do hijackers actually take over flying.

Previous to 9/11, airlines trained pilots primarily to cooperate and attempt to de-escalate the situation. The plan was to stall and gain as much as time as possible, and see what delays could be used while seemingly complying with the demands of the hijackers. Most hijackings ended, in general, with few casualties. In addition, there were very few preventive security measures in place. The cockpit door was rarely locked; flight personnel entered and left the cockpit with no more than a knock.

After 9/11, airlines took a dramatic turn and adopted entirely new tactics to thwart unlawful seizure of an aircraft. Time was your friend in the old days of hijacking, and the chances of getting out alive were very good. Not anymore.

With vastly tightened security measures and an overhaul in intelligence efforts, only the most sophisticated operations will have a chance to take over control of an airplane. So understand that if you find yourself involved in a hijacking, you are likely dealing with a highly trained individual or group.

Before You Even Board

The Israeli airline El Al has one of the best safety records in the industry, primarily because they were the first to realize that security starts before passengers even get to the airport. The use of an ever-growing
database of names, which includes genders, birth dates, and people’s flying history, is now in place. “No-fly” and watch lists, including lists of those with suspected ties to terrorist groups, lists of the names of known criminals, and other intelligence reports, are now used as the first net of security. The next phase of prevention is surveillance, both audio and visual, which consists of actively monitoring passengers as they arrive at the airport. When arriving at a terminal, crank up your situational awareness to very high. You are surrounded by people from all over the world with vastly different backgrounds and beliefs.

Focus on the basics:

• Does something or someone ready to board your flight seem out of place?

• Body language is a great indicator—does anyone seem unusually nervous or stressed?

If you notice
anything
during the situational awareness drill while boarding an airplane that causes an instinctual reaction,
do not ignore it.
Do not hesitate to voice your concerns to airport security (TSA) or someone connected with the airline.

Settling In

As you board the plane, start assessing the situation, as described in “Airplane Crash” (
page 58
). Look at all the passengers you pass and make mental notes of the ones who, again, seem out of place in some way; remember their location in relation to your seat. Also make a metal note of passengers who might seem capable of assisting in the event of trouble.

• Always try to get an aisle seat, because it will enable you to get to your feet immediately and be more ready to deal with any situation.

• Stow all of your belongings in the overhead bin. Make sure there is nothing below your feet that could in any way impede your movement.

• Also remove or tuck in any loose clothing; keep your shoes on and ensure they are tied. This isn’t the time to get comfortable for your flight—not yet.

• Once seated, continue your visual sweep of the plane. Take note of passengers who could be a potential problem or threat.

• Identify passengers in your immediate vicinity who you feel would be either an asset or a liability if a conflict were to arise.

• Rehearse in your mind what you would do if someone in front of, behind, or next to you starts trouble.

Threat Assessment

If air marshals are onboard, it will become immediately apparent in the event of an incident. Air marshals are trained for handgun accuracy, investigative work, and operating independently, and know tactics for subduing assailants quickly. Don’t get in their way, but help if asked or if you can. However, you can’t assume they’re on your flight, so don’t wait for them, and perform your own threat assessment.

• Who is attempting the hijacking? Is this a terrorist mission or an individual who seems deranged or psychotic? How quickly can they execute their intention?

• How many hijackers are there? Multiple hijackers are clearly going to require a greater number of responders. It also indicates that this is a very sophisticated operation.

• What types of weapons are being used? Given the heightened security measures at all airports, it is unlikely these terrorists were able to smuggle anything advanced like a
firearm onto the plane. That said, remember what terrorists with box cutters were able to accomplish in 2001.