Carrying a weapon is not all it takes to survive and eliminate a threat in an unplanned combat situation. Of course, training with the weapon on targets is important, but in real-world situations, it is equally important to practice these key military combat ideas.

FORCE PROJECTION
First is the idea of Force Projection. This is what most people envision – and I would define for simplicity’s sake – as the “activity of war.” A tank maneuvering into position, an artillery piece firing, or the soldier aiming and shooting his rifle. The collective ability of the resources brought to bear in combat are part of Force Projection. In citizen self-defense, this is both how well I operate my pistol and how many others, such as my wife, will be operating pistols alongside me.

FORCE PROTECTION
The more important concept – and the one that mirrors what was covered in the Two-Person Armed Defense course – is that of Force Protection. In short, this is Army-speak for the things that can be done to prepare for unknown threats or natural disasters on or off the battlefield.
Force Protection recognizes that it is important to account for and manage known risks. Things such as weather and terrain need to be addressed, and they’re important no matter if you’re storming a beachhead or going Christmas shopping at the local mall. The weather influences how you dress, and terrain becomes where you’ll park your car. You can even borrow the military method for not forgetting the important stuff: it’s called METT-T. It stands for Mission, Enemy, Troops, Terrain and Weather, and Time available.
MISSION: Shopping trip to local mall.
ENEMY: Likely present, but strength and configuration unknown.
TROOPS: Myself, armed with a concealed handgun. My wife, also armed.
TERRAIN and WEATHER: Mid-December in Ohio, requires coat. Movement from remote, unsecured parking lot to large, crowded indoor space.
TIME AVAILABLE: Usually not a life-or-death consideration at the local mall, but what the heck. You could, for instance, plan to be done before sundown to avoid a dark parking lot.
Again, not an ideal template, but it can help with some of the relevant considerations. In the above example, there won’t be any kids along for the ride. If there were, the roles of the adult defenders would have to account for them. METT-T is just the earliest stage of planning: establishing the circumstances.

TEAMWORK AND COORDINATION
Not surprisingly, the military excels at teamwork. No battle plan can ever rely on the performance of a lone soldier, and your plan for your family to survive a mass shooting event in the mall food court cannot be predicated on your gun skills alone. Participants need to know where they are in relation to both the threat and each other, what they are doing, and where they are going. This requires planning, training, and practice.One of the huge lessons of the Two-Person Armed Defense course is that this kind of coordination is easier said than done. Add in any number of exterior distractions and it’s not hard to see that execution of even the simplest plan requires coordination, training and practice. The opportunity to do this in real time, on the range, is invaluable.

COMMUNICATION
Another key to success is communication. During an incident, we need to know what’s going on with the other members of our group and to let them know what’s going on with us. The chaotic, fluid nature of something like a spree shooting event makes that very difficult. But that difficulty can be eased by planning.

These are the methods you'll employ in some form or another when involved in a two-person defense of your lives. As with all self-defense, the only way you can rely on these ideas is if you practice your communication regularly to be able to move with each other seamlessly.

The best way to do this is to go over your roles frequently. If you have children, one way would be to have one parent guard the children while the other parent acts as a first defense. You can revise these methods best for whatever situation you find yourself in.

This is great advice for everybody. Hopefully, you'll be able to include these ideas into your own defense plan. For the entire article, go to Personal Defense Network.