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.
About the Author:
Charles "Sid" Heal is a Commander at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. He holds three college degrees, two lifetime California teaching credentials, and is a recipient of more than 90 commendations from law enforcement, military, and governmental agencies. More importantly for this book, he is also a licensed general contractor who has owned his own contracting business for more than two decades.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.