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05-16-2008, 01:49 PM
This article appears in the current edition of Calibre Press Street Survial Newsline. While ABT is not a "front line of defense" for public safety concerns, the article is well written and gives perspective to the mindset that all LEO's should embrace.





5-15-08

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The ONE

by Chief Jeff Chudwin


This article first appeared in the
Illinois Tactical Officers Association magazine



"Out of every 100 men, ten shouldn't even be there,
Eighty are just targets,
Nine are the real fighters, and we are lucky to have them, for they make the battle.
Ah, but the one,
One is a warrior,
And he will bring the others back."
-- Heraclitus

The landscape of law enforcement changed forever on September 11, 2001.
On that day, war was brought upon our nation, upon our soil. Thousands of our fellow citizens were murdered along with hundreds of first responding police and firefighters.

This war had been declared long before by Bin laden and other killers who swore their life’s work to the destruction of our way of life. But those who were empowered to protect this nation and far too many of our citizens simply believed that we were invincible, invulnerable, and untouchable. They were wrong and we paid the price in blood, lost lives, and broken dreams.

We stood together as Americans for a short while, united by a common enemy; but not for long. As the years passed and follow on attacks failed to occur, America grew tried. You see, vigilance is tiring, boring but vital and fewer remained vigilant. What we could not see was the unending struggle by our military and law enforcement intelligence and operations officers who fought the coming threats in the dark of night and the absence of public knowledge. If nothing has happened the reporters and commentators said, then there must be no real threat; and with that the politics of the past renewed its ugly ways and we fell to fighting and bickering. Shame on the politicians for their dereliction and self interest but that changes nothing for us. As law enforcement officers our duty remains the same no matter what the politics.

Today, the enemy is emboldened and empowered by our lack of unity and failure to accept or understand the danger he poses. The threat is greater today than yesterday that one of our cities will be reduced to smoking ruins and our citizens subject to an attack of terrible effect and loss of life on a scale that few can fathom. But despite this inability to visual such devastation such an attack is still very much a reality.

What does this mean to us, the police officers and agents who stand on the forward edge of the battle? Given the oath we have taken as the protectors of our communities, it now becomes more urgent that we throw off the blindfold of denial. We must embrace the reality of the threat and stand ready to fight this enemy every day, every hour, every minute.

To be ready requires acceptance of what is, not what is wished.
Are you willing to accept the reality? Some are not. For some, it creates such fear that they will not or cannot accept it.

Reality

To give word to it, gives rise to it.
To give word to it, gives life to it.
To give word to it, makes it reality.

I heard from an officer whose wife refused to speak to him when he brought up the possibility of terrorist attacks on schools. They have a young child in grade school. He told me that she would not speak to this issue because in doing so she would be required to acknowledge that their child was at risk. It is easier to hide from the fear and the truth, unless you are the ONE.

Every Officer has the ability to train to a higher capability to fight the threats. It requires that you take time each day to develop both your physical and mental skills.

To be the ONE requires that you overcome your own self doubt and self interest. As a police officer, you do not have the right to be lazy, out of shape, or unskilled. You do not have the right to call yourself the protector of your community and then fail to take your rifle and other gear on patrol because it is a hassle carrying it in and out of the station. You do not have the right to abandon your duty. You do not have the right to wear the uniform of a police officer if you only pretend to be capable of carrying out your most sacred mission; the protection of the lives of those around you.

You only earn the title of Police Officer when you can look in the mirror and see a real police officer. When you look at yourself with a pride that is well founded and you can rebuff the negative energy of those pretend officers who belittle your efforts; you have become the ONE.

You may be the only officer in your agency who accepts this calling. Not every man or woman can do so. It is not a question of size or gender. When you have the heart to fight the fight against boredom and complacency; to place your safety before those whom you have sworn to protect when fear and danger confront you, then you can be the ONE.

To be the ONE requires action, not talk. You are and will be known by what you do, not what you say you will do. When your deeds and words are equally honorable and equally actionable; you are the ONE.

If you see that you are one of the ninety whom Heraclitus says should not be on the field of battle …we bear you no ill will. We ask only that you find another path to walk that does not place such heavy a burden on you. It does not make you a bad person, it make you a person who has the integrity to realize that in the fight, you will be a risk to yourself and others.

If you are one of the NINE, we welcome you and embrace you, for you will fight and that is all we ask. Not every police officer can rise to the highest calling.

But for you who will fight the fight every day, without tiring, without doubt, without reservation, and will train to exhaustion, only to get up to do so again and again; you will be the ONE who brings back all the others from the battles that we will surely face.

You will earn the honor of the respect of your peers whether spoken or not.
You will be known as the ONE who all will look to when the danger is near and the enemy close.

But most of all you will carry the knowledge in your heart and soul that you made the conscious decision to overcome all obstacles to achieve the greatest title one can ever hold.

You will be what Heraclitus described two thousand five hundred years ago:

You will be the ONE.

About the author:

Jeff Chudwin is president of the Illinois Tactical Officers Association and chief of police and range master for the Village of Olympia Fields, Ill. Chudwin has been a competitive shooter and firearms/use-of-force trainer for more than 25 years. He developed Illinois’ certified 40-hour Rifle/Carbine Instructor Course for N.E.M.R.T/IL Mobile Training Unit #3 and assists with instruction of the rapid deployment/active shooter training course.