Retired Sergeant Major Kyle E. Lamb is the founder and president of Viking Tactics, as well as a 20-plus-year veteran of the United States Army.
With 15-plus years in U.S. Army Special Operations, his operational experience includes combat operations in Somalia (Black Hawk Down Incident), Bosnia, and numerous tours in Iraq.
His Stay in the Fight!! Warriors Guide to the Combat Pistol, SGM Lamb succeeds in providing numerous invaluable tools to both the new and experienced operator/officer.
He presents “a way” and not “the way” unless through operational experience he has found a tactic to not be valid (and yes, there are some).
Like all tactical training, you go from theory to application and keep what works best for you. His tactics and advice are based on operational experiences that tie into both military and law enforcement areas of operation and provide core fundamentals to both.
I enjoyed SGM Lamb’s humor and methodical approach to his tactics; I particularly enjoyed his directness when it came to some tactics that have become a sacred cow in some circles. Hey, just because it is black and has velcro/molle attachments (or someone claims sandbox status) does not make it a valid tool or technique! SGM Lamb not only provides suggestions, but he also breaks them down and looks at them from all angles – legal, reality vs. the cool factor, and the obvious.
For example, on point shooting versus sighted fire, he comments that law enforcement professionals and military members must use sighted fire to quickly dominate situations, save the good guy and not injure innocent bystanders; with the distinction between and for contact shots.
Another example is his promotion of shooting on the move as a basic skill. Far too many agencies feel that this is an advanced technique for advanced operators/officers when nothing could be further from the truth. Observations like these lend credence to his operational experience and skill as an instructor.
The book is broken down into three parts:
- Part I covers Core Skills and has 12 chapters that include stance, grip, sighting, the draw and reloads.
- Part II on Tools of the Trade has eight chapters that include pistol selection, lights, and mindset.
- Part III on Intermediate/Advanced Skills has 10 chapters that include turns/facing movements, shooting on the move, weapons retention, and flashlight techniques.
All chapters address topics not only for the tactical operator but also for the patrol and the undercover officer.
Lastly, there are pictures, and hey, who doesn’t like pictures? This book offers a large volume of knowledge with images to support every suggested technique. This allows you to transfer the written word into a mental image and provides you with references for future applications. For those hoping for a book on competitive shooting tips, you will not find them here, as the focus of the book is combat shooting skills – the skills to WIN a gunfight where the ultimate outcome is you or an innocent victim’s survival. This is a valuable addition to those who dare and are in the arena on a daily basis.
