Globe Pequot / Lyons Press
Pages: 264
•
978-0-7627-6255-2 • eBook • June 2005 • $23.99 • (£17.99)
David Diaz is a 20-year U.S. Army Special Forces/Marine Corps professional who recently retired from the U.S. Armed Forces. He first learned about tracking from the son of a Malaysian headhunter, who hunted insurgents in the jungles of Malaysia. He fine-tuned his craft through years of dedicated study and instruction from the finest trackers throughout the world, including the Dyak/Iban of Brunei, Nigrito aborigines from the Philippines, the San Man of Botswana, and U.S. Vietnam-veteran Marine trackers, who gained their skills from the Montagnards in the highlands of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. He has taught these skills to U.S. Army soldiers, police officers, and foreign military forces worldwide, in times of war and peace, in both friendly and hostile environments.
Writer V.L. McCann has a B.A. in Creative Writing, graduating with Honors in 1981 and thereafter serving nearly 12 years as an officer in the U.S. Army. In 1997, McCann became owner and chief writer/editor of Abbacy Professional Writing in Tacoma, Washington.
[Signs of Hope - Table of Contents]
Forwardv
Introductionvii
Chapter 1-History and Brief Overview1
A SHORT HISTORY-A TRACKING OVERVIEW
"PREY-LUDE" TO THE CHASE11
Chapter 2-Getting to Know You15
OPERATION CHASE21
Chapter 3-My Common Senses Will Find You25
SIGHT-Visual Tracking-Scanning & Searching-AUDITORY TRACKING-Vocal-Mechanical-SCENT TRACKING-TACTILE TRACKING
THE PURSUIT-DAY ONE44
Chapter 4-What Happened to My Signs?53
GROUND SIGNS-Foot Prints-Other Prints-Disturbances-MIDDLE SIGNS-Wind Speed-TOP SIGNS-MEASURING-FACTORS AFFECTING SIGNS-Other Humans & Animals-Terrain-Climatic Weather Conditions
THE PURSUIT-DAY TWO73
Chapter 5-How Long Has It Been Since We Last Met?81
HUMAN & ANIMAL EXCREMENT-LIVING CREATURES & PLANT LIFE-CONTROLLED LABORATORY TEST-Conduct of the Experiment-What You Eat is What You Leave-Database-A LESSON IN FORENSIC SCIENCE-Rigor Mortis-Livor Mortis-Algor Mortis-Decomposition-Mummification-Skeletonization
THE PURSUIT-DAY THREE104
Chapter 6-What Do We Have Here? Gathering and Documenting the Evidence112
GATHERING THE EVIDENCE-Preserve the Area-Direction of Movement-Blood Trailing-Speed of Movement-Number of People-Kind of Food Consumed-Miscellaneous Items & Equipment-Weapons-DOCUMENTING THE EVIDENCE-The Tracker Report-Overview-Searching-Recording-Collecting-Formatting
TRACKER REPORT146
Chapter 7-Round Up the Posse! Training Together as a Team152
TRACKER TEAM-Duties & Responsibilities-Track Searching Procedures-Formations-Immediate Action Drills-Booby Traps-TRAINING FOR THE BEGINNING TRACKER-Static & Movement Observation Drills-Initial Exercise-Forested Area Exercise-Other Skills
Epilogue191
Tracker Creed192
Appendix A, Time-Based Analysis Tables193
Appendix B, Tracker Report Format197
Appendix C, Situation Report (SITREP) Format207
Appendix D, SALUTE Report Format208
Appendix E, Medevac Report Format209
Glossary211
Recommended Reading217