After the RAF attempted to assinate Gen Kroeson and his wife in Heidelberg, there was an immediate influx of money to train VIP drivers all over Europe. I got caught up in that surge and attended two or three really cool courses on counter terrorist driving techniques and a slew of lesser but still fun training sessions. It was kind of like the EUCOM version of the Dukes of Hazard driving school. And I got paid to do it. I hate to admit it, but the best course was put on by the Air Force. They had a three day school with class work and slide shows and two days of driving around on an old airstrip in the northern Black Forest area. We did controlled collisions, slippin' and slidin', spinning around and high speed stuff. It was a hoot.
I got to attend a course from the German Polizei that covered a lot of the same stuff but was more fun because they had a big body Mercedes and a 911 Porsche...man what a ride. Anyway, I told you all that so I could tell you this:
One of the Air Force generals on staff at EUCOM left to a new post as the director of an agency everyone has heard of but nobody really knows much about. He returned a year or so later...if his agency had had an office at EUCOM, he would probably want to visit it...and cutting to the chase...he asked for me to drive him around while he was in town. He knew me...knew I had received that special driver training...and my boss said, "Sure".
The first thing I had to do was pick him up for a dinner affair at a restaurant. I knew the local guys pretty well, they introduced me to the rest of the crew. I was briefed on all the magic that goes into that kind of operation...routes to and from...escape routes...rally points...signals...don't stand between the guy in BDU's and the General...radio checks...etc. I asked for a rewind to the guy in the BDU's. Everyone was in civilian clothes...all the cars were unmarked...it was a very low key move on purpose. What is with the guy in the BDU's?
The General travelled with a security team plus wherever he stopped, local office security people were attached to the party until the General left. They explained that all of the security personnel were trained to keep the General safe and not let anyone harm or kidnap him. He was the head of one of the most sensative and secret organizations in the Federal Government. The things he had access to were mind boggling...if the Russians could interogate the General, they could have it all. So all those people were trained and charged with not letting that happen. Okay, I got it. But what about the guy in the BDU's?
Well...all the security to avoid losing the General could possible fail...the guy in the BDU's job was to insure that if they did fail, the General was not taken alive.. I furrowed my brow. Slowly, the meaning of their warning became clear...do not stand between the General and the guy in the BDU's.....line of fire. And believe me...I didn't.