It’s a FACT

V and I spent last week out of town at the five-day Foreign Affairs Counterthreat Training, otherwise known as FACT. Typically, FSOs attend FACT every five or six years. However, we had not been for 10 years — since spring 2015. When we last attempted to complete FACT in March 2020, our timing was unfortunate — the world was just beginning to shut down due to COVID-19. We had already unpacked and were relaxing in our hotel several hours away when, on a Sunday evening, we learned that the weeklong FACT session scheduled to begin the following morning had been canceled due to the emerging pandemic. We were so close, but missed out. We went to Ciudad Juárez on the same FACT waiver everyone received during that period. But in 2025, the stars finally aligned and we checked FACT off our list once more.

I could regale you with tales of our hotel room that lacked even a single drawer, let alone a closet (for two people, for a week). Or I could complain about the 90 minutes roundtrip we spent on the bus each day between the hotel and the training facility.

But the inconveniences were worth it in the end. FACT is a truly valuable, scenario-based training that helps both the FSO and their spouse transition from a stateside mindset to the more dynamic and risk-prone environment of an overseas post.

So let me instead share my favorite things I learned (or was reminded of) at FACT, in no particular order.

Crises

In a crisis, don’t panic, and don’t do nothing. Do something.

If you survive a crisis and go home, you’ve won the day.

Risk management is a deliberate process of identifying, analyzing, and mitigating risks to enhance decision-making. Being risk-aware is not the same as being risk-averse.

Cover (protection) and concealment (to hide) are not the same thing.

It takes about three feet of liquid (eg in a barrel) to stop a bullet.

Be aware of your personal stress response, and during emergencies, actively monitor your physiological reactions to help you stay focused and responsive.

A fixed mindset considers knowledge fixed and static, whereas a growth mindset embraces challenges, and sees knowledge as possible to expand upon and acquire throughout life.

Always have an individual and family safety plan.

Repeated practice builds muscle memory. Habits trump willpower and motivation.

Without an after-action meeting following a crisis, it’s hard to address the mistakes a team made and improve for next time.

When providing first aid, prioritize treating injuries in the order of how soon they can cause death to the patient. Massive hemorrhaging (1-5 minutes); blocked airway (4-6 minutes); respiratory (15-20 minutes); circulation and hypothermia (continual threat).

An arterial bleed can kill a person in three minutes.

Learn to apply a tourniquet in less than 30 seconds. The most common mistakes with tourniquets are not using one, not using one tightly or soon enough, and not using two.

Driving

When driving, your eyes lead your hands. Your hands steer the car. If you don’t want to hit something in the road, don’t look at it. Steer towards the positive goal, not the negative goal. In other words, “steer for daylight!”

The aviation industry first developed antilock braking systems (ABS). The first automotive company to use ABS was Mercedes.

During threshold braking — braking just before lock-up or ABS engages — steering control is limited. Do not attempt to steer sharply until you ease off the brake enough to regain full traction.

To preserve traction and lane control, especially on corners, or wet or slippery surfaces, use progressive braking.

If you need to ram a car that’s sidewise in front of you and blocking your path, “aim from where it came.” Driver aligns either the center of the steering wheel or glove compartment with the front or rear axle of the vehicle to be rammed — hard point to hard point — as applicable. Push it out of your way when you cannot back up to escape.

Don’t try to ram a vehicle >1.5 times the size of your vehicle. You can ram from as little as two car lengths away.

When describing a vehicle to law enforcement, use the MMCUP method: make, model, color, uniqueness, plates.

Never let your gas tank get below a quarter tank. Just don’t.

Dangerous People

When scanning a crowd for threats, focus on people’s hands.

Nothing you have on your person is worth your life. If you get robbed, simply give the robber what they’re asking for and run away.

Consider carrying a dummy wallet or purse that you can toss while running away in the opposite direction.

When you’re in danger, run. If you can’t run, hide. If you can’t hide, fight.

If you must fight, crazier beats crazy. Remember, the attacker has the element of surprise and assumes they are willing to do things you are not.

If you are ever taken hostage, ask yourself: Who has me? What do they want? How far are they willing to go?

When describing a person to law enforcement, use the CRABS method: clothing/characteristics, race, age, build/height/weight, and sex.

Fire

A fire can double in size every 20 seconds in ideal conditions.

A fully-developed fire burns between 900-1700 degrees Fahrenheit.

Human skin feels pain around 110 degrees Fahrenheit. It sustains first and second degree burns at 118 and 131 degrees Fahrenheit respectively, and is completely destroyed around 162 degrees Fahrenheit.

Approximately 87% of fire-related deaths are actually caused by smoke inhalation.

If you suspect an indoor fire, test the door with the back of your non-dominant hand before entering. If you observe smoke, crawl on your hands and knees for the exit.

Keep interior fire doors closed. A closed fire door can withstand fire for about two hours.

---

Understand that bad things happen every day, and bad things can happen to you. This will help prevent you from losing precious minutes to panic and disbelief as a crisis begins, and allow you to more quickly choose a safe course of action.

Do something. Win the day.