Sound Doctrine: A Tactical Primer [Paperback]

Charles "Sid" Heal (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2000 | ISBN-10: 1930051115 | ISBN-13: 978-1930051119

In recent years, law enforcement has suffered a number of tactical fiascoes. Besides the loss of life and deterioration in public confidence, officers and agencies have been the subject of both civil and criminal sanctions.

Unlike most tactical books, which teach tactics as a "skill set", this book emphasizes an intuitive application of funamental principles. These principles have evolved over centuries of tactical operations and form a body of "sound doctrine".

Heal not only presents a distillation of the more than ninety tactical texts, but provides an insightful and compelling call for rethinking tactics of law enforcement. Assuming no prior experience or understanding of tactical matters, Heal draws from everyday life such as competitive games, driving, or planning a vacation to show how to reconceptualize a difficult situation. Because the fundamental concepts Heal explores apply to all types of emergenices, Sound Doctrine is suitable for not only law enforcement, but firefighters, private security, and other emergency responders.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A must read for SWAT team members and commanders alike. It will cause many to rethink their operational processes. -- Steve Ijames, Major, Springfield Missouri Police Department

Heal has taken his experience and training and put it all together ... belongs on every tactical leader's bookshelf. -- Craig Roberts, Author, Police Sniper and One Shot—One Kill

Required reading for all law enforcement supervisors as well as those aspiring to enter their ranks. -- Colonel John B. Alexander, Ph.D., author, Future War

From the Author

In my wildest imaginations I could never have predicted me writing anything, but especially any scholarly work on tactics.  I was born and raised on a farm in rural Michigan and spent my youth living a life right out of Garrison Keillor's books.  I joined the U.S. Marine Corps right out of high school and experienced my first bus ride, first taxi ride, first plane ride, stayed in my first hotel and saw my first movie in boot camp.  Within six-months I was in Vietnam and being trained by a Gunnery Sgt. from the Korean War.  Our First Sgt. was a World War II veteran.  Tactics took on a whole new meaning and my lessons were reinforced daily.  Upon returning to CONUS I quickly married the girl of my dreams (my wife, Linda, of the last 40 years), went to college and joined the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department.  I had stayed in the USMCR to help pay for college and was eventually promoted to officer and was sent to some of the best military schools throughout the United States.  (not to mention the Marine Corps' tour of third-world countries in crisis)

My career with the LASD continued until I found myself as a Team Leader of one of the department's six, full-time SWAT teams.  Tactics took on a whole new meaning and I began studying in earnest.  As I gained more knowledge my interest only quickened and I began teaching and travelling as both an instructor for the LASD and USMC.  As a result, I was personally present for the responses to such things as the coup d'état in Thailand (1992), the Oklahoma City Bombing (1995), the attacks on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center (2001) and a host of others.  For whatever reason, I just seemed to "get it" when it came to disasters and tactical operations and I continued up the career path and eventually was put in charge of the Special Operations Bureau.

Somewhere along this path I decided to write a primer on tactical science focused on domestic safety services--Sound Doctrine.  It was well-received and so I wrote another one on how to determine floor plans from architectural features.  This was another subject that surprised me in that I am also a licensed general contractor and would never have thought my knowledge of building practices would have any value in law enforcement.  An Illustrated Guide to Tactical Diagramming was published in 2006.

I am retired now and, in between cross-country bicycle rides and playing with the grandkids, am working on a full-length text on tactical science focused specifically on domestic law enforcement applications.  I've got three smarter people, all combat veterans, looking over my shoulder to make sure it makes sense when I'm done.  The working title is Field Command and I'm hoping it will be out by the fall of 2011.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 154 pages
• Publisher: Lantern Books (June 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1930051115
• ISBN-13: 978-1930051119
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #207,348 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sound Doctrine--The Building Block for Tactical Decisions, October 7, 2000

By 

Larry Doherty (Windsor, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sound Doctrine: A Tactical Primer (Paperback)

Sid Heal, a recognized expert in our occupation, has managed to combine the lessons of the military's past into our present occupation-law enforcement. Don't just read the book once, read it several times to grasp the basic principles presented so that they become second nature to you when called upon to act or to command at a crisis or critical incident. Then, have your troops read the book so they, too, will have an understanding of their role in these situations. The book shows the relationship between decision making, the preparation of a mission, and the actions taken to accomplish one's objective and/or goal to resolve the problem encountered. Whether the objective is to handle a crisis or a critical incident, the principles are here. "Sound Doctrine: A Tactical Primer" is a must read, for anyone involved in the decision making process for any crisis and/or critical incident, as it provides a means to accomplish a measured resolution based on "sound doctrine". Click on the order button... Larry Doherty, SWAT Team Commander, Sonoma County Sheriff's Dept.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent workbook for law enforcement personnel., October 25, 2004

By 

M. Conrad Hunter (Southern California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sound Doctrine: A Tactical Primer (Paperback)

I assign Sound Doctrine: A Tactical Primer as the workbook for a Law Enforcement Intelligence course. Law enforcement commanders worry about the seeming disunity in strategic and operational policy and its political ramifications. Tactical officers are concerned with handling the more pragmatic issues, such as the insurgencies of drug trafficking, illicit immigration, terrorist activities, and civil disturbances. Reading Sound Doctrine will help.

Charles Heal clearly defines the problems and limitations associated with current policies for the execution of critical incident missions. In fact, the only thing that is known about these new types of operations is that not much is known in advance. Few principals or rules are in place before a crises occurs, so officers and officials who are strangers are forced to cobble together operating procedures in the midst of a crisis. And because each operation tends to be unique in important ways, these same officials are often forced to define a position and response in haste. Those tasked with the responsibility of crisis management and confronting low intensity conflicts, which are the future of state and local law enforcement, have frequently complained about the inadequacy of the machinery of government in these circumstances. Critically examining Sound Doctrine will help.

The traditional departmental division of responsibility for strategic, operational, and tactical missions, while perhaps sufficient for generating policy and building coalitions, is incompatible with and inhibits the development of a department/agency responsible for coordinating, and directing continuous operations. Implementing Sound Doctrine will help.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One to buy, October 18, 2000

By 

Captain Thos. Pinney (Spring, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sound Doctrine: A Tactical Primer (Paperback)

"Sound Doctrine" is a text to read over and over. Sid Heal is in an excellent position to balance and compare civilian law enforcement and military tactical thought. Not only does he provide the "how to" of conducting tactical operations but he provides a clear excellent review of the fundamental concepts behind action. The title is accurate. The book covers the basic doctrines necessary to conduct operations against potenital armed adversaries. Each chapter is well organized and direct. It would make an excellent textbook for a basic understanding of tactical operations. I recommend this book not only to law enforcement personnel, but to anyone who also needs a solid grounding in tactical doctrine for employing force.