SEAL Survival Guide (45 page)

Charge!

When you see that someone clearly has the intent to harm or kill you and everyone else on board, you must make a decision. You may take a few seconds to several minutes to contemplate and assess all variables, but it will surely come down to a physical confrontation. If you are in such a situation, it’s time to
pull the trigger!
If at such a crossroads, the use of violence of action could never be more appropriate.

In this situation, if I can prevent the plane from crashing, even if it means that I might get swiped with a knife, then let’s roll. Gather the troops from the passengers you previously marked, and formulate a plan.

I urge you to
lead the charge
. For most people, fighting is a very unnatural thing, and many want to avoid it. But in life-threatening situations, it takes only one person to initiate an action, and others will follow. Step up and be that person. I always say that if I’m going to die, let it be on my feet, fighting for my life and giving it 1,000 percent effort.

The More, the Better

Quickly coordinate your efforts with as many passengers as possible to overwhelm the hijackers. Flood them with bodies, attacking them from all directions. Try to have at least a 3:1 ratio—that is, three passengers for every hijacker—when initiating your assault. Again, more is better.

Improvised Weapons

(See also “Gear,”
page 295
, and “Fighting,”
page 146
.) You can increase the odds of making your attack successful by utilizing some of the things in your immediate area as weapons. Most anything can be used to help in the fight. But let me reiterate, no matter what you choose as a weapon, it must be employed with violence of action. Half an effort will not work. Possible weapons include:

• Car keys between your fingers

• A belt

• A tightly rolled-up magazine

• A high-heeled shoe

• A laptop computer or cell phone

• A seat-bottom cushion, to use as a shield

• A coat, wrapped around your lead arm to cushion a blow

• A ballpoint pen

Possible Explosives

If you think the hijackers may be carrying some type of explosive device, then you must act immediately. Attempt to get them to the floor, preferably away from the wings, where the fuel is stored. Try to spread their arms and legs apart, and keep their hands over their head. A manual explosive device will probably require their hand to detonate it. Remove their ability to do so. If, however, you don’t feel in
immediate
danger, you could have a brief amount of time to formulate a different response.

Search, Handle, Restrain

If all goes well, you will have physically subdued the hijacker(s), but you’re not done yet.

1. Have several people position the hijacker facedown, with arms overhead and spread and palms facing down. Also spread his legs wide. Keep a knee in the middle of his back. Have one of your passenger team control the back of the assailant’s neck, forcing the head tight against and into the floor. Have others straddle each leg.

2. It is very important to perform a quick search of the hijacker. If you find an explosive device, the danger is far from over. Whether to attempt to remove the device or not will be a difficult decision. Generally, it is best to leave the device alone. If, however, you believe the device may have a timer or there is a chance the terrorist will still have the ability to detonate it, you should consider removing it. If you are able to remove the device, it should be jettisoned from the aircraft. This must be coordinated with the pilot or flight crew.

• In recent times, many airlines have installed doors that allow for a
controlled detonation,
since there may be insufficient time to jettison the explosive. Airlines have retrofitted and fortified particular exit doors that are
sturdy enough to sustain a small to medium explosion without damaging any of the plane’s operating systems. Usually this is the aft starboard door, the farthest rear door on the right side when facing the front of the plane. The key to this is to place the explosive against the door and build a makeshift bunker around it. Use carry-on bags, blankets . . . anything that will help to contain the explosion, such that the majority of the explosion’s force is against the door.

3. If no explosive is discovered during the search, the next thing to do is move the hijacker to the galley at the rear of the plane. This should be done using what we call
prisoner-handling techniques.

• Again, maintain control with a 3:1 ratio.

• Place both the hijacker’s arms behind their back, and create an arm bar by placing your arm under theirs and cranking their arms up high behind their back.

• Have someone control both their neck and their waist.

• Slowly pull the hijacker up from the ground while maintaining positive and aggressive force on them.

• Keep the hijacker lower than you. They can make the trip to the rear of the plane on their knees. If they get feisty, slam their face right back down to the deck of the aircraft. Remember, this person will still try to kill you and everyone else if given the chance.

4. Once you have the hijacker in the rear galley, you are going to want to restrain them for the rest of the flight. Utilize anything you can find—belts, ties, shoelaces, carry-on-bag straps—to bind their arms behind their back and tightly secure their feet and knees together.

5. When you are certain the hijacker is thoroughly restrained, remove their ability to see, hear, and speak. Blindfold and gag this person thoroughly.

6. At least two people must maintain a constant watch on the hijacker. If the hijacker moves or tries to get free, be ready to pounce.

The Outside World’s Response

While you are dealing with this life-threatening situation inside the plane, there will be a whole series of events put into motion in the world outside. If the pilots are still in control of the plane, they will “squawk,” or transmit a code that lets everyone know they have been hijacked. NORAD (the North American Aerospace Defense Command) will then scramble fighter jets to intercept, and the FAA will work to clear the area of other aircraft while establishing the best location to land.

Understand that since 9/11, one of the mission options of the fighter jet interceptor is to shoot down a hijacked airliner. This would clearly be a worst-case scenario, which is why it is so crucial to establish or reestablish communications with the outside world once the hijacker is subdued. If NORAD doesn’t know what is going on inside the plane, they could destroy it.

If the pilots are still in control of the plane, the flight crew will notify them (using specific protocol) of the situation in the cabin. The pilots will then convey that information to NORAD and the FAA.

If, however, the pilots are for some reason incapacitated, it will be up to the flight crew or perhaps even some of the passengers to take control of the plane and reestablish communication. To do so, go to the communication portion of the cockpit and dial in the following frequency: 121.5. This is a common frequency used for emergency situations. In a very clear and controlled tone provide the following information:

• Who you are.

• Flight number.

• Current situation (“We’ve regained control of the plane!”).

• Status of plane and pilots.

Remember, the clock is ticking, and you have a couple of fighter jets with authorization to shoot you down. Follow all instructions you are given once you have established communication on the emergency frequency. You probably didn’t plan on flying a jumbo jet when you woke up this morning, but that may be exactly what you’re going to have to do.

HOME INVASION

In the United States, one in forty homes was targeted for a home invasion in 2012. Home invasions now account for one in four robberies, since the traditional targets like gas stations and convenience stores have initiated plans that make less cash available and make targeting them not worth the trouble for professional criminals. Law enforcement now makes a distinction between burglary or robbery, in which assailants unlawfully force their way into a home, apartment, or hotel room to commit a crime, and home invasion, a predetermined, more sophisticated, better-planned, and often much more violent crime that occurs within a person’s residence.

Tactics used by home invaders have become increasingly brutal, with a third of all home invasions turning physically violent, often leading to rape, torture, and even murder. Home invasions are just as frightening as any apocalyptic event, since these are life-threatening situations that jeopardize our person, our family, and our right to live in a secure environment. Having your property stolen is an enraging and frustrating experience. Add intimidation, assault, and other heinous acts committed in the sanctuary of your home to the list, and home invasion becomes an intolerable crime. Learning the skills necessary to fight back and survive a home invasion are essential now and
would be of paramount importance if the stakes for survival were even higher, especially in the aftermath of a catastrophic event.

Home invasion is motivated generally by the intention to steal property, and less frequently to commit kidnapping. Targeting a home is less risky for criminals than robbing commercial establishments. Unlike with robbing a retail store, a home invasion is far less likely to be interrupted by police on the beat or by random pedestrians entering the scene. Once the offenders take control of a residence, they force occupants to open safes, locate hidden valuables, supply keys to the family car, and provide PIN numbers to their ATM cards. Home invaders will try to increase their escape time by disabling the phones and sometimes will leave their victims bound or incapacitated. It is not unheard-of for robbers to load up the victim’s car with valuables and drive away without anyone in the neighborhood taking notice.