Executive Protection: Teamwork, Suicide Bombers, and Attacks

Part I

Chapter 17 salient point: The Role of Teamwork in Executive Protection

The role of an executive protection specialist might appear to be a more solitary role between mainly the client and the principal himself, but nothing could be further from the truth. Teamwork is a crucial component of an executive protection specialist, especially for more complicated protective assignments, in which many protection specialists must work as a single, cohesive unit in order to accomplish a specific goal (June, 2008). For this reason, establishing a firm reputation as leader is paramount in order to truly succeed at the job, and managing a team requires a number of strategies to use in order for the team to be as effective as possible. One of these is to use competent and knowledgeable team members, but, perhaps more importantly, a team leader must analyze the specific strengths, weaknesses, and specializations of each individual team member and assign them to the role or function that suits them best for each situation (June, 2008). Another important piece of the puzzle is having one central goal for this specialized team to work towards. It is important for each team member to be properly motivated, so it is crucial that each team member understands why they are doing this job, and the benefits for doing so (June, 2008). Lastly, a team leader should look for help outside of the organization. This allows the team leader to be flexible in the methods he or she chooses to utilize in each mission, and also makes the team's strategy less predictable for any outside forces (June, 2008).

Chapter 18 salient point: Suicide Bombers and their Motivations

Suicide bombers represent a significant threat to any operation because of their lack of self-preservation and devotion. In addition, relatively recent developments in the Middle East has led to an influx of suicide bombers in many developed nations, especially the United States (June, 2008). This means that executive protection specialists should be especially vigilant for these suicide bombers, who tend to attack high-value targets such as government officials. Oftentimes, these suicide bombers have the goal of simply spreading as much fear and destruction as possible, and these suicide bombers are the least predictable as they exist in a culture of martyrdom (June, 2008). There are a number of common motivators for suicide bombers. One of these is extremely common: religious martyrdom. These suicide bombers are extremely dangerous because it is virtually impossible to reason or negotiate with them, due to their religious zealously. Another common motivator for suicide bombers is politics. Many suicide bombers will attack in order to, for example, win political concessions (June, 2008). These political motivators are not as longstanding as religious motivations, but are nevertheless extremely dangerous as, yet again, it is virtually impossible to negotiate with them (June, 2008). An executive protection specialist must always keep in mind when dealing with suicide bombers, or terrorists in general, that spreading fear and chaos is their number one goal. (June, 2008).

Chapter 19 salient point: Kidnapping and Negotiations

When dealing with kidnappers, or the possibility of a kidnapping, it is important to be as prepared as possible to handle the situation, should it arise. In terms of preparation, an executive protection specialist must plan out in advance certain aspects, such as who to notify if their principal is kidnapped (June, 2008). However, there are many different kinds of kidnapping. For instance, some kidnappers are only kidnapping for political power or money, and will thus communicate directly with authority, while others might want to take the principal hostage or use his or her skills for some other purpose, which makes negotiating with these kidnappers difficult (June, 2008). In this scenario, the best course of action is to appoint specific hostage negotiators within a group, or relegate the role to law enforcement, in the worst case scenario (June, 2008). Of course, the best defense against kidnapping is preventing it altogether, and there are a number of ways this can be accomplished. The first, and most important, step to take is to simply keep a low profile, especially while traveling (June, 2008). This means hiding the potential kidnapping target's name from mailboxes, doors, or any other commonly-seen identifier (June, 2008). It also means that their routine, including schedules, travel routes, etc. should be continually varied so that a pattern cannot be observed by an potential kidnappers. The last step is to simply be vigilant, which entails being careful about potential threats such as threatening phone calls and letters (June, 2008).

Chapter 20 salient point: Preparing for and Responding to Attacks

An executive protection specialist must plan for any eventuality, and oftentimes this means going toe-to-toe with an attacker. It is crucial that the executive defense specialist end each conflict quickly and decisively, as failure could mean injury to the agent himself or, worse yet, the principal (June, 2008). In order to ensure a swift win in confrontations, agents must practice some form of self defense, be it through the martial arts such as Judo, or with weapons, such as stun guns or pepper spray (June, 2008). There is no official requirement for which form of self defense an agent must specialize in, so it is largely up to the agent's own judgment. Once in a fight, the agent must be aware of his or her surroundings at all times, especially in regards to the attacker. This means studying "tells" like face and hand movements of the attacker, distance between the agent and the attacker, and general fighting stance of the attacker (June, 2008). By utilizing this information, the agent is able to form the best course of action for any given scenario, even if that action is, oftentimes, inaction, or avoiding the confrontation, in other words. 

Chapter 21 salient point: Managing Emotions

One of the greatest threats of all to an agent is their own emotions. While emotions can oftentimes be difficult to control, especially in high-pressure situations, there are ways to mentally steel oneself against negative emotions to ensure that they do not interfere with a critical assignment (June, 2008). To do this, agents must focus their emotional training on five key areas: Intrapersonal skills (which help with assertiveness and self-awareness), Interpersonal skills (crucial for social responsibility and empathy), cognition-orientation (for problem solving and adaptability), stress management (for impulse control), and affect (to ensure optimism and happiness in the worst of times) (June, 2002, p.382). In doing this, an agent will be much more prepared for stressful situations and ensure that the agent is strong both mentally and physically, making him more effective at protecting the principal.

Appendix B salient point: Researching Terrorist Threats

Oftentimes, agents must be proactive in identifying and taking down terrorist threats. Perhaps more important than the actual mission itself is the planning and reconnaissance that must go into the mission beforehand. To that end, there are a number of different aspects and measures to observe to make sure that agents know as much as possible about the terrorists life (June, 2008). This includes gathering as much information as possible about the target themselves, such as the car he or she driver, how he or she spends his recreational time, vulnerabilities and weaknesses of the target, routes he or she takes, information about the target's spouse, his job, and any other personal information the agents can acquire, all serve to make the team more informed (June, 2008, p.399).

Part II:

Question 1: Ch.21, Question 6: executive protection is sometimes referred to as a single person's job because agents live a dangerous life, quite simply. More specifically, agents with wives who get on the bad side of terrorists or other criminals might see that same wife be captured or killed by malevolent criminals who might be trying to manipulate the agent or simply get revenge for some other transgression the agent committed, usually in defense of the principal. It is also a single person's job because the vocation, by its very nature, does not allow for a great deal of time at home. It is a very "on-the-go" type position, requiring constant vigilance, training, and availability for emergencies; similar to how many doctors remain on call (June 2008). Quite simply, it is not a profession that lends itself well to relationships. 

Question 2: Chapter 20, Question 6. A naked human still has a number of weapons still at his or her disposal, provided he or she has undergone the proper training, and is resourceful enough to use them. For example, common, everyday items such as soda cans can be combined with other common items such as socks to form a flail-like club that can easily subdue attackers (June 2008). A naked human also has his or her own body, which is its own deadly weapon. This is why martial arts training is so crucial for agents, because it is the one weapon that the agent will always have at his or her disposal, and can be, in some situations, even more effective than some weapons (June 2008). An agent should be aware of the practical uses of their body parts. For example, elbows, shoulders, and forearms are extremely effective for hitting and striking.

Reference

June, D. (2008).  Introduction to executive protection, 2nd Ed. CRC Press. 382, 399