Advanced Situational Awareness Skill: Memory Guided Target Acquisition

The ability to accurately target acquire when the target is no longer visible is a highly advanced skill.

To do this an individual utilizes their memory guided target acquisition system.

An example of this would be when in darkness and a brief flash of light occurs. The individual would be able to continue to scan the environment but accurately return their visual focus to the location where that flash of light occurred.

Another example could be a target is acquired but a cloud of dust covers your line of sight, you scan the environment, but then return with accuracy to the unobservable target so you immediately have eyes on it when the dust settles.

The individual who develops the skill of memory guided target acquisition creates a distinct advantage for themselves – elevated situational awareness and faster reaction capability.

Training memory guided target acquisition can be done easily with a basic laser pen.

Step 1: Use a simple background or darkness. Avoid a background with other visual cues that may assist with target acquisition.

Step 2: Use the laser light to flash the target position on and off and target acquire when it is presented.

Note: the laser light needs to flash again in the same position. Use a training partner or a laser with a timer to keep the target position consistent. The light should project onto something, don’t flash a laser toward your eyes.

Step 3: Scan the environment then return to position of target anticipating its re-emergence.

Step 4: Have the laser light flash again and test your memory guided target acquisition accuracy.

What are some situations where highly accurate memory guided target acquisition create an advantage for you?

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