‘1 minute out’ could be heard from the Team leader as we near the suspect residence.
The truck goes dark, and the fellas get quiet. Time to focus. Everyone stands up and situates themselves appropriately. I confirm that I'm behind my teammate that was discussed in our briefing earlier. ‘30 seconds out’ now relayed by the team leader. The back doors of the truck fly open, everyone is ready. I illuminate my G-Shock Mudmaster for my own time check. ‘0500’, right on schedule. ‘OUT, OUT’ is given by the team leader, and so the job begins.
Throughout my Law Enforcement career, selecting the right timepiece has become more than just choosing a practical necessity. The piece itself earns its way to a particular assignment in its use, from its history and experience. For me, a piece that carries many significant experiences that I have is the G Shock Mudmaster (GG1000-1A). Very early in my career, I was extremely fortunate to become a firearms instructor for my agency. After completing the 14-day instructor school, I was surprised by my brother (who is also an LEO) with a gift. When I opened the box, I discovered an absolute tank of a watch. I immediately put it on my wrist and experienced a bout of nostalgia. As young kids, my brother and I grew up with a father who was a hardcore watch enthusiast. With much of his collection complementing his wrist, I distinctly remember he also enjoyed HUGE case sizes. The Mudmaster certainly is reminiscent of my old man's collection as it sits on my medium sized wrist like a gauntlet.
Several years later, the Mudmaster continued to stand by my side as I embarked on the challenging journey of joining my agency’s SWAT team. At this point, I had become an experienced firearms instructor and immersed in the tactical aspect of police work. Having worked with Team guys within the firearms cadre and hearing their stories, I knew that it was an organization I wanted to be a part of. The tryout to become a SWAT officer consisted of a physical fitness test, a firearms assessment and oral interview. The team demanded nothing other than the highest performers for consideration without apology. I immediately got to work, putting some hard miles on my Mudmaster. The day finally came to prove myself at the tryout. My hard work paid off and I was accepted on the team. This was an achievement of a lifetime for me, and one that I got to experience with my trusted Mudmaster.
Balancing regular police duties, responsibilities, and the demanding Team training regimen proved to be no easy feat. Where I work in New Jersey, the majority of SWAT Teams are collateral duty assignments. Meaning that you will still assume your primary role as a patrolman, detective, supervisor etc while also attending mandatory team trainings and being on call for SWAT operations. With a minimum of 2 days a month that we all train together, you must constantly find time to put your own work in. Just because you were accepted, doesn’t mean the end. As a new guy on the team, you have to be better than everyone else. Every distance run you better be at the front, every shooting drill, you better be the fastest and have the cleanest target. Anything other than that, you could expect to find yourself off the team sooner rather than later.
I can vividly remember my first job with the team. It was a cold snowy morning. The night before we were all informed of the briefing location and time for muster. My equipment was prepped and ready to go, all to include my Mudmaster GG-1000-1A. I placed it directly on my nightstand so I wouldn’t forget it. The little I was able to sleep, I woke up with plenty of time to spare to complete an additional equipment check. I swiped my watch from the nightstand and began what would become my precheck ritual. Even after thoroughly going through all my stuff, I was still running through the list, through my head all the way out the door. I Didn't want to give any poor impressions to the fellas on my first official job with the team.
The snow was coming down heavy, good thing I gave myself plenty of time. The sun was still down and not a soul was on the road. During that long drive to the briefing location, I felt like I gulped down 3 cups of coffee. My chest was pounding with excitement along with the bass of some heavy metal that was blasting through the stereo. The briefing was standard to the objective and was followed by the team gathering in the transport vehicle. While I scanned the inside of the truck, two things stuck out to me, my teammates demeanour and the watches they had on their wrist. As we rolled out, I could see everyone around me exuded a level of confidence and an attitude like this was ‘just another day’. Meanwhile I was sitting like the typical rookie wide eyed and bushy tailed full of excitement… too much excitement. I knew I had to calm myself down. As I mentioned I started to take notice of the watches the fellas were wearing. To my surprise, the vast majority of them were wearing smart watches. Although a practical choice for timekeeping and all the other features a smart watch offers, I personally have never desired to own one. There is just something that a traditional, analogue timepiece offers that these little computers do not. A sense of character, familiarity, and soul.
The Casio G-Shock has always been the go-to tool watch of choice for Military, Police, Fire and medical first responders since its inception. This Mudmaster is no different.
I looked down at my Mudmaster and took a deep breath. I focused my attention to the details of the dial and the ticking of the second hand. Having more than just a simple glance at it, I was reminded of the occasion when I received the watch and the hard work that I've put in since. This proved to be an effective method to level myself out before a job that I still use to this day. Since that first operation, my collection of watches and experience has grown. Each piece has its story, some more than others but that's the fun part. The seasoned pieces within my collection such as the Mudmaster will always serve as a tangible reminder of the rich tapestry of experiences woven throughout my career. However, one must never rest their laurels, when new pieces enter the collection, it is accompanied with a challenge to see more, do more, and be more.
- Anonymous
Article courtesy of @thewatchbunkerclub a group of watch enthusiast LEO's military and more. They can be found on Instagram and we thank them for their contribution.