Understanding Overwatch: Why Grouping Two Snipers Together is Impractical for Executive Protection
The recent assassination attempt on former President Donald J. Trump on July 13th, 2024, at the fairgrounds in Butler, Pennsylvania, is a stark reminder of the urgent need to unequivocally denounce political violence and demand honest answers from the Secret Service leadership, specifically with Secret Service Director Kimberly A. Cheatle to prevent future political violence.
The most glaring concern I have was why were there two snipers together on that day? Let me explain.
In the realm of executive protection, or Secret Service protection for President Donald J. Trump, precision and strategic deployment of resources are paramount. Snipers play a crucial role in this delicate balance, providing essential overwatch and rapid response capabilities. However, it’s widely recognized in military and security circles that grouping two snipers together is neither practical, professional, nor logical. Here’s why:
- Redundancy and Risk Management
The primary objective in executive protection is to mitigate risks and ensure the safety of the principal. Positioning two snipers together in one location increases the risk that both will be compromised if their position is discovered. By dispersing them to separate locations, the protection team ensures that if one sniper is neutralized, the other remains operational, preserving the protective overwatch. For example, if one sniper’s position is compromised due to enemy action or detection, the other sniper in a different location remains unaffected and can continue to provide coverage. This redundancy is crucial in maintaining a continuous protective presence.
- Enhanced Coverage and Flexibility
Executive protection often requires monitoring extensive areas. By strategically placing snipers in different locations, the protection team can cover a larger area and respond more effectively to threats. This dispersion allows for overlapping fields of fire, meaning that different snipers can cover different sectors, eliminating blind spots. For instance, snipers positioned at different vantage points can observe and engage threats from multiple angles, ensuring no part of the environment is left unmonitored and providing multiple lines of sight for surveillance and engagement.
- Stealth and Concealment
The effectiveness of snipers relies heavily on their ability to remain undetected. Pairing two snipers together increases the risk of detection, as it is harder to conceal two individuals in one spot. Solo snipers can maneuver more discreetly, blend into their surroundings better, and avoid drawing unnecessary attention. For example, a single sniper can use natural cover more effectively and move silently without the additional noise and visual profile that two people might create. This stealth is vital in high-stakes environments where the element of surprise can make the difference between mission success and failure.
- Optimal Resource Allocation
In executive protection, snipers are invaluable assets. Dispersing them ensures their skills and equipment are used to their fullest potential. Each sniper can be assigned a specific sector to monitor, ensuring comprehensive surveillance and rapid threat neutralization. For instance, one sniper might be tasked with observing a high-risk approach route while another covers an area with a clear line of sight to potential ambush points. This optimal allocation of resources ensures that the protection team can maintain a high level of readiness and responsiveness.
- Effective Communication and Command Coordination
Modern snipers are equipped with advanced communication tools, enabling them to stay in constant contact with the command structure and other team members. This connectivity allows for coordinated efforts without the need for physical proximity. Snipers can relay critical information, receive commands, and adjust their positions as needed while maintaining their separate, concealed locations. For example, using encrypted radios and GPS devices, snipers can communicate real-time threat assessments and coordinate their actions with the broader protection team, ensuring seamless integration into the overall security strategy.
In executive protection, the strategic deployment of snipers is a cornerstone of effective security measures. Grouping two snipers together undermines the principles of risk management, coverage, stealth, resource allocation, and communication. By positioning snipers separately, executive protection teams can ensure a robust, flexible, and highly effective security posture, safeguarding their principal with the utmost professionalism and precision.
I have underscored the very basic tactical and strategic reasons behind best practices in deploying snipers for executive protection scenarios, highlighting why separation is key to their effectiveness and the overall success of the protection mission. I intentionally did not go into too much detail about the time of day, when the sunset affects vision depending on location, weather and humidity, to do my best to simplify this writing.
However, as of this writing, Thursday, July 18th, 2024, we are left with more questions than answers. Let’s all hope we can all get honest answers on July 22nd, 2024, when U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle testifies at the House Oversight Committee in the United States Congress.
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