There’s Competent, Professional Executive Protection, And Then There’s What Happened in Butler, Pennsylvania

No one likes a Monday morning quarterback (GenZ readers, ask your fathers). Nevertheless, the FAA thoroughly investigates all airplane crashes to determine what went wrong and figure out if the cause of the crash could have been prevented. They then publish their findings in hopes of keeping such crashes from occurring again.

On Saturday, in a field in Butler, Pennsylvania, the entire nation witnessed a spectacular crash in real time, a monumental failure by the United States Secret Service, that but for the grace of God, could have cost President Donald Trump his life. So even before any Congressional or independent investigation of the assassination attempt takes place, it’s important to know what executive protection should entail before assessing the debacle that was on display in Pennsylvania. 

Environmental Control

The first layer of defense or protection used by those providing executive protection and professional security is to exercise the greatest amount of control possible over the environment in which the protectee is living or operating. For business executives and private persons, such a task is far simpler than for those who have to go out in public, as is the case with politicians.

Environmental control involves numerous aspects. This includes access control in regards to people; who is allowed in and under what circumstances. There’s also ingress/egress control; how many points of entry and exit are there and who is controlling them? Threat assessment is another area. Is there a specific threat based on intelligence or are we addressing unknown, but predictable threats such as bombs, snipers, and close-in shooters. Layers of security are created during this phase of the operation.  

Environmental control is a team effort that also includes a dedicated and thorough site advance evaluation. The advance team needs to have a professional and experienced leader. In practice, advance work should be conducted by experienced people, not rookies. All of the aforementioned are the tasks accomplished by genuine bodyguards, but no one sees or thinks about them. 

Counter-Sniper Overwatch

Just like on the battlefield, the goal of the protection team is to locate and hold the high ground, whatever that might be. The high ground is where we place not only sharpshooters or counter-snipers, that’s also where we place observers whose job it is to keep their eyes moving constantly in order to spot potential threats. Constant overwatch through high-powered optics puts a strain on the eyes and the mind. That’s why it’s a multiple person job.

I’m not going to go into the specifics of the attempted Trump assassination. What the would-be assassin did from his vantage point, what the counter-snipers did, as well as whether or not they hesitated too long or were deliberately hampered by those on their command is a topic that’s being dissected by hundreds, if not thousands of people right now.

Close Personal Protection

When we think of bodyguards or Secret Service agents, we all envision the men (and now the incompetent women) in sunglasses standing around the VIP, staring at the crowd. In the celebrity world, the bodyguard is massive, obvious, and as often as not, the one who pushes people away from the protectee. 

As someone who has done that job, I can tell you that a single “bodyguard” isn’t genuine security. It’s the illusion of security. If a person genuinely requires professional security, they need a team of men, not one giant guy. 

While the men in sunglasses standing around the President are the most obvious protectors, they are actually only there for the worst-case scenario. A bodyguard jumping in front of a bullet is the last resort, not the first option. If the men within touching distance of the protectee have to draw their guns, there have already been multiple failures to get to that point.  

Get Off the X

So if the close personal protection team that’s surrounding the protectee is there as a last resort, what are they supposed to do? Three words: shield, shoot, and ,move. Literally the second that the team realizes there’s a deadly threat to the protectee they must shield the protectee physically. (It’s kind of tough to shield a 6’3” man when the bodyguard is a 5’4” woman, but I digress.)

The shooting part is secondary to the shielding part and only happens if the deadly threat is right there and can be engaged effectively. On close protection teams, every person has an assigned role and during a crisis they must perform that role immediately, without hesitation. In military operations there is a saying; “Drivers drive, leaders lead, and shooters shoot.” Everyone has to know their role.

It should be mentioned that the shooter can also shield the protectee at the same time. Additionally, if the threat is down or distant, or it’s something like an explosion, the shooter takes the role of human plow, clearing the egress route for the other movers. If one of the movers is down, the shooter becomes a mover.

For those whose role it is to move the protectee toward safety, that’s their one and only job…move the protectee off of the X as fast as humanly possible. When we say “move” the protectee, we don’t mean assist them in walking away. Those persons on the close protection team must be capable of literally lifting and carrying the protectee out of harm’s way — now — not in a little while, not after someone gives the all clear, but NOW. Immediately.

During the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan, two Secret Service agents physically moved the President into the waiting limousine within seconds of the first shot being fired. The after action report said that John Hinckley fired six shots in 1.7 seconds. By the time the sixth shot was fired, Reagan was inside the limo. 

Naturally the primary, secondary, and other egress routes are pre-planned and understood by everyone on the close protection team so there’s no confusion as to which way to go when you need to go. Emergency transportation will be standing by and ready to move at a moment’s notice. Support vehicles likewise are on standby to clear the route.

I shouldn’t have to point out that the detail leader is responsible for ensuring that all personnel know their roles and are prepared to execute those roles immediately. Finally, everyone on the team has to have clear communication with the rest of the detail so hesitancy and confusion can be kept to an absolute minimum in an emergency.

There is a lot more that goes into providing professional security or “bodyguard” services, but this is a solid overview of the basics…the bare minimum of what needs to happen. Now that you know how it should be done, you can watch the video of what actually happened on July 13 and come to your own conclusions regarding the current state of the United States Secret Service under the control of the diversity hire who is currently in charge.

 

Paul G. Markel was professionally trained in Executive Protection and worked as a bodyguard in the United States and overseas during the 1990’s into the mid 2000’s before going to work as a military contractor during GWoT. He’s a combat decorated United States Marine veteran. He is also the founder of Student the Gun University and has been teaching Small Arms & Tactics to military personnel, police officers, and citizens for over three decades. Mr. Markel wrote a book on providing executive protection called “Have Passport, Will Travel. Field Notes for the Modern Bodyguard”