“Mark target.” The comment came over the internal communication system from the other crew chief. We were always scanning the environment for threats, and he found something. It was a large weapon with two barrels hidden beneath the palms. Though only a glimpse, it was enough for him to identify what appeared to be an antiaircraft gun. With those words the pilot pressed a key and recorded the GPS location of the gun emplacement. We continued on our mission, and the location was relayed to higher headquarters. An unmanned aerial vehicle was dispatched to the location to reconnoiter and verify. The call came back to the helicopter about twenty minutes later that indeed it was an AA gun emplacement and though unmanned appeared to be operational.
It was destroyed, but it highlighted how vulnerable you can be if you’re not aware of the situation or circumstance you are in. The helicopter had flown right over it. We were all scanning, yet only one in the helicopter saw it.
First Peter 5:8 calls us to be alert. However being alert in our society for most people means simply to be awake. That is not what is being communicated in the passage of this verse or the intent that God has for us as people of faith. Situational awareness captures that concept better for me. It is not complicated. Situational awareness is being aware of the situation that you’re in. It’s a simple concept. It involves knowing what risks are around you, your circumstances, your capabilities, and resources that you can bring to bear if that situation changes, and an unspoken intensity of focus on each of those factors. Situational awareness is to an extent, hypervigilance it’s not just being awake. What an indispensable concept for a soldier, especially one who is a Christian!
To have situational awareness in a convoy means you are visually and mentally engaged. Your eyes are constantly scanning for threats and resources. If something happens to change the situation, then your awareness of that situation will help you survive. I’m scanning, looking for threats both big and small. They can be intentional threats, such as people trying to hurt us, or they can be unintentional threats such as a pothole in the road, telephone wires that we might fly into, children nearby that we would have to avoid if they darted in front of us suddenly, or a brewing disturbance or distraction. Situational awareness allows me to focus my energy at preserving my role in the mission.
Father, help me to be aware of my circumstance. May my focus be on you instead of the situation. Help me not to be distracted from noticing what you are doing around me and when and where I should act.
“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)