Jeff Stephens

TRAIN A LITTLE, A LOT: Six Practical Lessons from Benghazi Hero Dave “Boon” Benton One of the most important takeaways from my recent conversation with Dave “Boon” Benton on @The_Watch_Floor was his philosophy: “Train a little, a lot.” You don't need expensive equipment or years of specialized training to become better prepared. You need to start building practical skills and make preparedness part of your routine. Here are six things you can start doing today. 1. Practice situational awareness. The next time you enter a restaurant, shopping center, hotel, or other public location, take 30 seconds to assess your surroundings. Identify primary and secondary exits. Consider where you would go if an exit became inaccessible. Pay attention to people, vehicles, unusual activity, and changes in your environment. The objective isn't to treat everyone as a threat. It's to recognize what's normal so you can identify when something isn't. 2. Have the family preparedness conversation. Sit down with your family and discuss what everyone would do during an emergency. How will you communicate if cellular service is unavailable? Where will you meet if you become separated? What should your children do if something happens while they're at school? Who will check on elderly relatives or family members who need assistance? Don't assume everyone knows the plan simply because you've thought about it. Make sure everyone understands their responsibilities. 3. Develop contingency plans. One of the most important lessons from operational environments is that circumstances rarely unfold exactly as expected. What happens if your primary evacuation route is blocked? If communications fail? If you're separated from your family? If emergency responders cannot reach you immediately? Think through alternative routes, communication methods, and meeting locations. Consider how your plan would change if multiple emergencies occurred simultaneously. A plan without alternatives can quickly become useless when conditions change. 4. Practice decision-making under pressure. You don't need a formal training environment to begin thinking through realistic scenarios. What would you do if a fire started in a crowded building? If someone experienced a medical emergency? If you heard gunfire in a public location? If you had only minutes to evacuate your home? Work through your priorities and available options. Learn first aid and CPR, and periodically practice appropriate emergency procedures. The goal isn't to predict every scenario. It's to improve your ability to assess a situation and make decisions without having perfect information. 5. Understand communication and leadership. One of the lessons Boon discussed from the Benghazi attacks was the importance of commander's intent and trusting your team. During a crisis, people need to understand the objective, their responsibilities, and what they're trying to accomplish. Micromanagement can slow decisions when circumstances demand immediate action. The same principle applies to your family preparedness plan. If the person who normally makes decisions isn't available, does everyone else understand the plan well enough to act? 6. Build resilience through consistent training. Resilience comes from developing the skills, habits, and confidence to handle adversity. Choose one skill to improve this week. It might be first aid, emergency communications, physical fitness, situational awareness, or learning how to properly use equipment you already own. Practice it, then build on it. Don't buy equipment you don't know how to use. Don't develop emergency plans you've never tested. And don't assume you'll automatically know what to do when something goes wrong. Training builds competence, and competence gives you more options when it matters. Our challenge to you this week is simple: Take 30 minutes to improve your preparedness. Have a conversation with your family, identify a weakness in your emergency plan, or practice a skill you've been putting off. Then do something else next week. You cannot prepare for every possible threat, but you can become better prepared to respond. Train a little, a lot. #TheWatchFloor #Preparedness #Resilience #SituationalAwareness