"Always be aware of your target's foreground and background" - you've probably heard this phrase during a range safety briefing. But is such a level of awareness truly achievable in extreme conditions, like those depicted in the video?
And if so, should this guidance be considered from a technical or rather a tactical (decision/position) perspective?
These are two questions I think are worth discussing. In reality, the engagement is the final (but important) percentage of our performance. Much more is happening prior to that, which directly interlinks with the outcome.
Stressors are powerful modulators of performance, and thus, everything preceding our actions can directly influence our decisions. This is crucial to understand. In the video, the trainee did not have the same capacity he might have in a shooting range, which is, of course, a more controlled environment. First, his target was moving, but other significant performance modulators impacting his level of awareness in this video included:
Novelty: He was more accustomed to static paper targets than to facing a live opponent.
Surprise: There were multiple doors through which the opponent could have emerged.
Environment: The confrontation occurred in a tight space, with decreasing distance between him and an aggressive opponent.
Onset: The scenario began with the loud, sudden opening of a door.
These factors accumulated, leading the trainee to perceive them as threats. This is where the brain does something brilliant yet simple—it directs all available resources towards what is perceived as the threat. Essentially, this creates an attentional bottleneck: we focus everything, for a certain amount of time, on a specific point. This approach makes a lot of sense when the problem is concentrated at one specific spot but becomes problematic in a three-dimensional scenario where a bullet could pass through the intended target and harm an innocent bystander.
Few points we belive might be interesting for you to consider:
1. The possibility of maintaining awareness of foreground and background in extreme conditions: Maintaining situational awareness is absolutely critical when handling firearms, and this includes being aware of both your target (foreground) and what's beyond it (background). In high-stress or surprise situations, the natural human response includes a tunnel vision effect where peripheral awareness can decrease drastically due to a physiological response known as "fight or flight." This makes it challenging to maintain a full awareness of surroundings.
Training and experience can mitigate this effect to some extent. Regular, realistic training scenarios that simulate stress are crucial for teaching shooters to maintain broader situational awareness. This doesn't guarantee that a shooter will always be able to keep track of a dynamic and chaotic environment perfectly, but it does improve the chances of making better-informed decisions when it counts.
2. Technical vs. Tactical Perspective:
Technical Perspective: From a technical standpoint, the statement underscores the importance of precision and control in the use of firearms. It's about the skillset required to ensure that each shot is accounted for in terms of not only hitting the intended target but also ensuring that there is no collateral damage. Technically, it involves marksmanship principles, control over one’s firearm, and an acute awareness of the firearm's capabilities and limitations.
Tactical Perspective: From a tactical or decision-making standpoint, this saying stresses the importance of situational awareness. This includes understanding the tactical layout of the environment, the positioning of non-combatants, and potential changes in the scenario. It is about making the right decisions under pressure, which could involve not firing a weapon if there is a risk of harming an innocent bystander. Tactical training often focuses on these decision-making processes, emphasizing rules of engagement and the legal and ethical use of force.
What do you think?