I like this one a lot Sam. I have been the one man and two man literally and figuratively numerous times. ( both at work and in life) You need to trust each other that if one is a half step ahead or behind that the other will pick you up and cover you. There is no trust greater than knowing your partner or teammate has your back when you are not looking.
That may be the part I love the most - reading the body language and movements of the others in the stack and adjusting on the fly. Powerful stuff. Thank you Nick
If we approach daily interactions in a selfless manner, pay close attention to detail, and act when necessary, I believe the 2 man way of living can be automatic. With that said, this way of life needs strong discipline to establish those pillars.
I remember during a cold weather training exercise in Pickett, I was the 2 man during bunker clearing. Before entering, we were told there would be no targets inside and this was solely to practice our movements.
As my point man and I cleared the bunker, we approached something similar to a T shape hallway. I took left as he hugged the right side and we started making progress moving forward. We approached a left corner and as soon as I cleared the corner, there was a large Ivan target staring at me.
Before I even knew it, I had already eliminated the threat by firing two to the chest and one to the head with my weapon on safe and my finger off the trigger. Because of the countless hours of practice and the understanding of my responsibilities and the importance of my will to act, my actions came naturally and almost without any effort or thought.
With that said, I couldn’t agree more with your take on our ability to practice this way of life outside of the military, it’s just a matter of not losing your way in an environment in which many others may not understand the importance of being a 2 man.
Thank you for the example, Erik. Agreed - it needs serious discipline to try to think in this way when there are not threats that are as obvious as those in a war environment. We need to "see" them in our minds since they're not there in the real world. I think the ancient Stoics would have enjoyed this.
I agree. Unfortunately, I think it’s human nature to start seeing what’s not as obvious only when things go wrong. Unless you’re a trained or experienced professional.
In 2018 or 2019 I was walking around Boston when I came across a beat, taped up Motorola walkie-talkie outside of a nice hotel. The first thing that came to mind was IED and the Boston marathon bombing. I notified a police officer to be safe and was amazed when he simply walked up to it, picked it up, and started pressing buttons.
Would he react this way if it was 2013 or 2014? I don’t think so, but because years had gone by since the Boston marathon bombing and the idea of operating in a “civilized” city, he felt comfortable taking it into his own hands instead of considering notifying eod personnel.
I used to always hear my leaders yelling “complacency kills” this holds true on the civilian side as well, and If as a society we can get better at being aware and paying attention to detail on daily basis instead of only when something goes wrong, we would all be in a better place.
Incredible narrative. The analogy was perfectly explained and has me questioning my life decisions, but I guess that's the point. Better to be late than never.
The quote “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing.” also reminds me of "better to be safe than sorry" Better to be safe backing up the car than sorry looking forward.
I thoroughly enjoy philosophies and it's not every day I hear a new and useful one. Looking forward to implementing it in my life, thank you.
This preparation and self control in order to protect and stand between your loved ones is applicable in all areas of life. It really resonated with me. I love it and shared it with my family right away. Doing what’s right, not procrastinating and being prepared. I’m a mom, wife and breadwinner. All of these roles require continuous attention, great self sacrifice, prepreparation and planning, all propelled by love and a willingness to give all in order to ensure my loved ones prosper and have opportunities. I believe the difference between a child and a successful adult is self control. Doing what you don’t want to do, taking control of your self and doing what needs to be done without procrastinating or making excuses. My poor children have received so many lectures. I’ll be sharing your writings with them now too. Thank you for your service! Your bravery and ability to step forward is a shining example to us all.
There is a saying in the SEAL Teams that, “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing.”
My husband apparently should have been a SEAL. He is a police officer. Same thought process I guess. Thank you for your service.
All too similar and for good reason. Thank you Dr. Rutherford.
I like this one a lot Sam. I have been the one man and two man literally and figuratively numerous times. ( both at work and in life) You need to trust each other that if one is a half step ahead or behind that the other will pick you up and cover you. There is no trust greater than knowing your partner or teammate has your back when you are not looking.
That may be the part I love the most - reading the body language and movements of the others in the stack and adjusting on the fly. Powerful stuff. Thank you Nick
What I like about this idea is that it scales to our circumstances and abilities. The abled bodied and the elderly can each practice it.
"Where do I have an opportunity to be of use today? Where do opportunity and my abilities overlap?"
100% Andrew!
Sam,
If we approach daily interactions in a selfless manner, pay close attention to detail, and act when necessary, I believe the 2 man way of living can be automatic. With that said, this way of life needs strong discipline to establish those pillars.
I remember during a cold weather training exercise in Pickett, I was the 2 man during bunker clearing. Before entering, we were told there would be no targets inside and this was solely to practice our movements.
As my point man and I cleared the bunker, we approached something similar to a T shape hallway. I took left as he hugged the right side and we started making progress moving forward. We approached a left corner and as soon as I cleared the corner, there was a large Ivan target staring at me.
Before I even knew it, I had already eliminated the threat by firing two to the chest and one to the head with my weapon on safe and my finger off the trigger. Because of the countless hours of practice and the understanding of my responsibilities and the importance of my will to act, my actions came naturally and almost without any effort or thought.
With that said, I couldn’t agree more with your take on our ability to practice this way of life outside of the military, it’s just a matter of not losing your way in an environment in which many others may not understand the importance of being a 2 man.
As always, thank you for sharing!
Thank you for the example, Erik. Agreed - it needs serious discipline to try to think in this way when there are not threats that are as obvious as those in a war environment. We need to "see" them in our minds since they're not there in the real world. I think the ancient Stoics would have enjoyed this.
I agree. Unfortunately, I think it’s human nature to start seeing what’s not as obvious only when things go wrong. Unless you’re a trained or experienced professional.
In 2018 or 2019 I was walking around Boston when I came across a beat, taped up Motorola walkie-talkie outside of a nice hotel. The first thing that came to mind was IED and the Boston marathon bombing. I notified a police officer to be safe and was amazed when he simply walked up to it, picked it up, and started pressing buttons.
Would he react this way if it was 2013 or 2014? I don’t think so, but because years had gone by since the Boston marathon bombing and the idea of operating in a “civilized” city, he felt comfortable taking it into his own hands instead of considering notifying eod personnel.
I used to always hear my leaders yelling “complacency kills” this holds true on the civilian side as well, and If as a society we can get better at being aware and paying attention to detail on daily basis instead of only when something goes wrong, we would all be in a better place.
Incredible narrative. The analogy was perfectly explained and has me questioning my life decisions, but I guess that's the point. Better to be late than never.
The quote “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing.” also reminds me of "better to be safe than sorry" Better to be safe backing up the car than sorry looking forward.
I thoroughly enjoy philosophies and it's not every day I hear a new and useful one. Looking forward to implementing it in my life, thank you.
You are most welcome.
This preparation and self control in order to protect and stand between your loved ones is applicable in all areas of life. It really resonated with me. I love it and shared it with my family right away. Doing what’s right, not procrastinating and being prepared. I’m a mom, wife and breadwinner. All of these roles require continuous attention, great self sacrifice, prepreparation and planning, all propelled by love and a willingness to give all in order to ensure my loved ones prosper and have opportunities. I believe the difference between a child and a successful adult is self control. Doing what you don’t want to do, taking control of your self and doing what needs to be done without procrastinating or making excuses. My poor children have received so many lectures. I’ll be sharing your writings with them now too. Thank you for your service! Your bravery and ability to step forward is a shining example to us all.
You are very welcome. Service was my pleasure.
In your roles, you know the importance of this lesson more than anyone.