Sitting Duck Policy

No, this isn’t an article about race, or even about how much sun you’ve gotten recently. This post has to do with your levels of awareness and your readiness to defend yourself.

Lieutenant Colonel John Dean "Jeff" Cooper (May 10, 1920 – September 25, 2006) of the U.S. Marine Corps felt that the most important means of surviving a lethal confrontation isn’t a weapon or fighting skills; the primary tool is the combat mindset.

Safety is something that happens between your ears, not something you hold in your hands.

One chapter in his book, Principles of Personal Defense, Cooper talks about awareness and presents an adaptation of the Marine Corps system to differentiate states of readiness.

This color code has nothing to do with military tactical situations or alertness levels, rather it was all about one’s state of mind. (Based loosely on Wikipedia and the Cooper Color Code.)

Condition White: Unaware and unprepared

If attacked or threatened in Condition White, the only thing that may save you is the ineptitude of your attacker – or sheer luck. When confronted by this type of threat your reaction will probably be “Oh no! This can’t be happening to me!”

Condition White is also known as “head in the clouds,” and means you’re generally unaware of what’s going on in your immediate surroundings. This is the worst condition to be in, and the condition that most would-be attackers hope to find their victims in. The element of surprise is on their side in this condition – not yours.

Some have said that the only time you should be in Condition White is when you’re asleep.

Condition Yellow: Relaxed alert

In Condition Yellow there is no specific threat situation. You use your eyes and ears, and every sense available to you to be aware of your surroundings. You are “taking in” surrounding information in a relaxed but alert manner, like a continuous 360 degree radar sweep.

You are aware that the world is a potentially unfriendly place and that you are prepared to defend yourself, if necessary.

Your mindset is that “today could be the day I may have to defend myself.” Further, you are mentally prepared to defend yourself (taser, pepper spray, throwing defensive punches, or even shooting and potentially killing someone).

You can remain in Condition Yellow for long periods of time.

You should always be in Condition Yellow whenever you are in unfamiliar surroundings or among unfamiliar people.

If a threat presented itself, what are your avenues of retreat? Where could you take cover? How will you get your spouse and children to safety?

You don’t have to be armed in this state, but if you are armed you should be in Condition Yellow.

Again, if you are armed with any weapon (including, but not limited to a firearm) you should be in Condition Yellow.

Condition Orange: Specific alert

You feel that something is “not quite right” and has gotten your attention. Your radar has picked up what may be specific alert and you consciously elevate from Condition Yellow to Condition Orange.

There may not be an actual threat, but you’ve picked up on something that warrants more attention and a higher level of alertness.

You shift your primary focus to determine if there is a threat (but you maintain your 360 degree sweep in case what has alerted you is a distraction). Your mindset shifts to “I may have to shoot him today.”

In Condition Orange, you set a mental trigger: “If that person does ‘x’, I will need to stop him.” Where “x” could be pulling a weapon and coming at you, etc.

Your weapon should remain holstered in this state.

At this point you should be recalling your training about acceptable and appropriate use of force. Is your life in danger or are you at risk of permanent bodily harm? Is retreat an option? If you do need to draw your weapon, is the area behind your target clear, or will you need to move to another position to do this?

Staying in Condition Orange can be a bit of a mental strain, but you need to stay in it for as long as you need to.

If the threat proves to be nothing, you shift back to Condition Yellow.

If the threat proves to be valid, you shift to Condition Red.

Condition Red: Condition Red is fight

Your mental trigger (established back in Condition Orange) has been tripped. “X” has happened and you have to stop that person or become a victim.

In Condition Red your primary focus turns to the threat, but you still want be aware of your surroundings: this might not be your only threat, if you discharge a weapon who might be in the line of fire, what cover is available. Hopefully you’ve already answered most of those questions in Conditions Yellow and Orange.

As soon as your mental trigger has been tripped you draw and make-ready your defense weapon. At this point you are committed to a course of action that may include taking a human life in defense of your own, or someone else’s.

Once you have presented your defensive weapon the threat may give up, may run away (did they get retreat to obtain reinforcements), or may continue to attack. You should plan for each of these scenarios.

When you are in the moment, higher-thinking stops and instinct kicks in. Replace instinct with training.

Once you have stopped the threat you will likely drop back to Condition Orange or Yellow, depending on the outcome of the confrontation.

Summary

This isn’t a training article, or what to do in specific situations. This article is about being aware of your surroundings and knowing what level of alertness you should exercise in each level.

The old adage “stop and smell the roses” takes on a new meaning in this context.

• Be aware of your surroundings including everything and everyone around you.
• Be ready to investigate further when circumstances dictate.
• Be ready to respond to a threat if the scenario arises.
• Be safe and refuse to be a victim.

Related Quotes

• The police cannot protect the citizen at this stage of our development, and they cannot even protect themselves in many cases. It is up to the private citizen to protect himself and his family, and this is not only acceptable, but mandatory.
• The will to survive is not as important as the will to prevail… the answer to criminal aggression is retaliation.
• Safety is something that happens between your ears, not something you hold in your hands.
• The purpose of the pistol is to stop a fight that somebody else has started, almost always at very short range.
• Let us reflect upon the fact that a man who covers his face shows reason to be ashamed of what he is doing.